For the Love of the People
by xache
Summary: Lucy receives an unexpected proposal from the most powerful dark mage in history that could help to end a terrible war, but at what price?
1. Author's Note

**Hello dear readers!**

 **Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed the "pilot" chapter of For the Love of the People. Your feedback was super-encouraging and I've decided to go along with the story.**

 **However, since publishing the first chapter, I've solidified the story line and rewritten the beginning. It's slightly different than before, but the main points are still there. I think the way it starts off now will be better for the character development along the road, so please take the time to start from the beginning again to avoid any confusion.**

 **As a little treat for putting up with my antics, I'll be posting the second chapter later today after I finish editing. I'll try to get in the habit of updating every week, but I'm a horrible person so I apologize in advance for when that falls apart and I disappear for months. Hopefully that won't happen, but I'm not holding my breath.**

 **Anyway, as always I encourage your reviews! They are really what keep me going when I'm losing motivation, so if you want me to update regularly, that's the best way to ensure it.**

 **Happy reading! XOXO**


	2. Ch 1: A Midnight Lecture

_Picture them in their underwear._

Someone had told her to do that once, and she had to admit it was utterly horrible advice. The thought of all these lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses, even the king, perched so royally on his throne, in naught but their skivvies somehow made _her_ feel naked. Perhaps it was the way they looked at her, disgust and outrage stirring behind their barely concealed, cordial gazes. Their eyes all the same glassy stare that cut right through her skin. The young lady wondered if they even possessed the capability for individual thought or if they actually were all just well-dressed drones.

The young woman curtsied gracefully before her king, trying to breathe as deeply as possible in her restricting corset while the rest of the court cast their disapproving glares at her. This was hardly the first time she'd requested an audience with the king (and it certainly wouldn't be her last), but she couldn't help how her heart pounded furiously. She wasn't an impetuous person, a seeker of the lime-light, or even a proper rebel, but she knew she was lucky to be in such a position of relative power and thus it was her duty to speak for those who couldn't.

Still, she wasn't a fool. She knew her efforts would be fruitless. That didn't mean she could just give up, though.

"Lady Heartfilia, I admit I have almost grown accustomed to our monthly visits together. Perhaps not much can be said about your sense of propriety, but your perseverance merits a gold star," the king mocked, and a hushed snicker spread across the room.

Lucy blushed violently.

"Your Grace, I have come again on behalf of the mages of this country, those who protect _your_ people against the dark prince's merciless demons. I receive boxes of letters each week from hard-working wizards across this land, all of them begging only for equal protection under the law! They save the citizens of this kingdom time and time again, and yet they are discriminated against in their own homes. Without equal rights you are treating them like slaves."

The young lady spoke fervently, but calmly. As a woman, she knew the dangers of being too angry, too shrill, too passionate. But she also knew the twin dangers of being too docile, too quiet, too passive. It was a balancing act, and the heels didn't help.

"Lady Heartfilia, each month you have brought up these ridiculous concerns and each month I have told you the same thing I'll tell you now. Mages and humans cannot have equal rights because they are simply not equal! The mages possess a power far beyond what humans do, I think we are all in agreement about that. Therefore we humans need something to keep their power in check, otherwise it will be a matter of years before they take over us all and subject us to their will," the king said scathingly.

Lucy opened her mouth to retort, but the annoyed monarch cut her off.

"You, my dear, are different, naturally. You have been raised amongst good society, taught to appreciate what humans have to offer the world. Those mages, though," he said, gesturing widely to somewhere outside his palace. "They are not so cultured. Our laws are all that keep them from becoming like _him_."

They all knew who "he" was, and the comparison made Lucy's blood boil. How could this fool of a king think that the people who defended his kingdom were anything like the monster they defended it from?

"Your Grace, with due respect, I think you are wrong. The inequality the mages suffer at the hands of your laws only serves to make them resentful. If anything, it is this injustice that would cause them to—"

"Lady Heartfilia," the king interrupted. "As always I appreciate you coming here in a courageous display of ignorance, and while I would love to explain the intricacies and effects of the laws of this great kingdom to a little girl like yourself, I'm afraid our audience is getting rather bored. Perhaps you should stick to something a bit more appropriate for your position. Maybe needlework?"

There was another round of snickers and sneers from the nobility and Lucy flushed, both in embarrassment and anger. She curtsied curtly and exited the room in a swish of silk, tears stinging her eyes.

 _Why do I subject myself to such ridicule?_

She hastily made her way through the castle to where her carriage awaited her. She knew that this evening she would get another lecture from her father threatening to lock her in her room, as if the humiliation she suffered at the hands of the king and his cronies wasn't enough.

She stared blankly out the window as the streets of Crocus passed her by. Shops and homes and people flashed as blurs of brick and color, with a number of those familiar green signs smeared in: _No mages permitted._ That, she supposed, was why she did it. Not just because she herself was a mage, but it seemed inexcusable that the people who kept them all alive and free from the black mage's grasp should be excluded from such simple pleasures as being able to enter any shop they like, or eat anywhere they pleased.

Lucy understood why the humans did it: fear. Zeref was a wizard gone bad, so what was stopping the others? Still, this seemed like the wrong answer, and as the only mage member of the nobility, she had a responsibility to fight for those who were too busy fighting the king's battles to fight their own.

She sighed (as heavily as her corset would allow) and closed her eyes, willing her outrage to settle at least for a moment's rest.

* * *

Predictably her father had been furious. So furious, in fact, that she got a full two minutes of chastisement before he sulked back into his study and continued to pretend she didn't exist. Lucy picked at her dinner before finally retiring for the night and slipping into a light, uneasy sleep. Her mind just kept replaying the events from earlier that day. The laughing, the repugnant glares, the demeaning insults. It all made her feel so helpless…

She woke up suddenly, her eyes begrudgingly adjusting to the moonlit room. It was still dark and out of her window the stars were twinkling brightly. The celestial mage often spent time just staring up at the stars. She wasn't powerful enough to keep her gates open for long, but staring up at their sparkling gaze made her feel like she was somehow in their company. Perhaps it was pathetic, but they were her only friends.

"Lady Heartfilia," said a low voice from the corner of her room and she would have screamed if she hadn't gasped it back, sending her into a slight coughing fit.

"Who's there?" she yelled as intimidatingly as she could between coughs while her voice shook.

She groped for her keys on her bedside stand as a form emerged from the shadows. A man. He stepped into the soft light of the full moon and smiled slightly at her, and the urge to scream built up in her again. She froze as she heard her keys hit the ground after accidentally knocking them away. She could barely breathe as she eyed her strange midnight visitor.

He wasn't particularly tall, but his stature was perfectly formed for his height and his stance was confident, relaxed, princely. He wore all black clothing, which matched his similarly raven hair and eyes. His skin was pale in the moonlight, and from what Lucy could tell he was handsome. _Very_ handsome. Lucy was acutely aware that she was in her nightgown. She was also aware that she was completely unarmed.

Not that it would really have helped against _him_.

"Surely I don't really need an introduction," he drawled, the words dripping off of his lips as he slowly stalked over to her.

 _Zeref._ The most powerful dark mage of all time, the enemy of Fiore, leader of the demons that tortured and tormented her kingdom.

"W-what are you doing here?" Lucy asked, trembling slightly. Even from across the room she could feel the power practically rolling off of him. Her hands clenched her sheets uselessly.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to see you," he said as he stepped next to her bed, his dark eyes watching her intently.

Very smoothly, he knelt down and picked up her keys, jingling them amusedly before setting them back on her nightstand. He smiled as if trying to ingratiate himself to the horrified mage, and pulled up a chair from her desk, sitting down on it like it were a throne.

"W-w-why?" was all Lucy could manage to stutter out. What on Earthland could an all-powerful, centuries-old mage want with her?

"I've been watching you, Lady Heartfilia, and I must admit you've interested me," he said, his voice almost a purr.

Lucy instinctively pulled her covers up around her as his gaze pierced into her. He chuckled.

"I don't mean your body, my lady. Though you are admittedly beautiful, I'm afraid I haven't felt something as basic as lust for centuries now. No, what interests me is your devotion to the mages of this land."

"My…devotion?" Lucy parroted, completely confused and terrified.

"I have seen how you go before your king and fight to have the rights of mages recognized, and I have seen how your efforts have only been met with humiliation and rejection."

Lucy was quiet as she met his black eyes.

"You're an exceptional young woman, Lady Heartfilia. I'm only sorry that you are placed at the mercy of those who turn their attentions away from you."

"I don't need praise from a man like you. All you've ever done is destroy everything good with this war of yours," Lucy said, finding her voice and the last withering sample of her courage.

"Is that so…My lady, do you know _why_ I fight this war?" he asked, standing from his chair and pacing amongst the shadows.

"Because you're evil?" she quipped, her eyes attentively following his black form.

He gave a small amused laugh.

"That is what your king would have you believe, isn't it? But no, I fight in self-defense," Zeref replied from the edge of the shadows of her room.

"Self-defense forced you to create demons that terrorize and kill thousands of people? Forgive me if I find that hard to believe," she said coldly, her boldness growing with each moment.

"I understand why you might think that, but I assure you, I was not the one to start this war. From the beginning all I have ever wanted was to live in peace as a mage. It is your rulers who have consistently found that to be unacceptable," the man said, pacing through the moonlight and back into shadow.

Lucy said nothing, but just glared at him, so Zeref continued.

"This war began over four hundred years ago, as you well know, at a time when magic was viewed with extreme suspicion, even more than now. All mages at that time were seen as threats, heretics, but it wasn't until I revived my brother that the king turned his eye to me, seeking to harness my power for his own use.

"The king then was greedy. He had been trying to convince his council to fund a campaign to invade the surrounding countries for years, expand the empire, but they had refused on the basis that it would be expensive and they were sure to lose. With my power, though, he saw an opportunity to finally press forward without his council's approval.

"He sent his men to get me from where my brother and I lived at the time," he said, his voice filled with memory. "Natsu was still just a boy then, though as a demon he was ostracized by the town's people. We lived on the edge of civilization, just the two of us. When the king's attacks first began after I refused to serve him, I sent Natsu to live with the dragons while I began establishing all of this, out of protection. As I dove deeper into black magic in an attempt to defend myself and my brother, I was cursed with immortality, forcing me to live through centuries of this fighting.

"Over the years, your king's obsession with me has carried down from generation to generation. Some want my power, others want to eradicate me, but all are ill-content to leave me alone. However, since then my objectives have changed. In fact, my goals today are not so different from yours, my lady."

"Mine?" Lucy asked, disgusted at the thought of her beliefs aligning with this monster's.

"For centuries your kings have sent mages to fight my demons, and for centuries they have been alienated if and when they return home. Unthanked, uncompensated, unequal in the eyes of the law. I want to make things better," he said.

"You could start by not attacking them," the young lady spat with all the tenacity of someone fully-dressed.

"Unfortunately it's not that easy, Lady Heartfilia. Your government only allows mages the scarce rights they have because they are a necessity to their survival. If I were to stop attacking, the king would no longer have a use for mages, and they would quickly be shoved back into the shadows of society from which they are just beginning to emerge. In a way, you have me to thank for your ability to practice magic openly." Zeref grinned slyly at her.

"I will thank you for nothing," Lucy said with a snarl.

"Just as well."

He sat back down in the chair and looked at her while she tried to sort through everything he'd said. It was a fantastic tale, if any of it was true.

"What does any of this have to do with me?" she finally asked.

Zeref gave a small smile.

"What indeed…," he said, his eyes plunging into her own. "Goodnight, Lady Heartfilia. I'll be in touch."

At that the room began to darken immensely, the kind of stifling darkness even light couldn't pierce, and the young lady knew he was gone.

* * *

Lucy's eyes flung open and she gasped for air as if she'd been held underwater. The dream played over and over in her mind. It was so strange, so real, the kind of thing that seemed outrageous even for her imagination.

Until she saw the black rose sitting on her bedside table.

She froze, her eyes wide as the color drained out of her face. A chill ran down her spine as if nails were raking down her neck and her hairs stood up on end.

 _He was here. Zeref was here._

She felt sick with fear as she stared at the rose like it was a giant worm, a curse. Then she remembered his parting words.

 _"I'll be in touch."_

Fear was too dainty a word for what coiled in her stomach and nipped at the back of her mind. Luckily the sensation was cut ever so slightly by something else: curiosity. She didn't know what would possess the king of demons to visit her in the middle of the night and give her a history lesson, but whatever it was, he had definitely caught her attention.


	3. Ch 2: An Unexpected Proposal

The following weeks were some of the most exhaustive of Lucy's life so far. Her mind kept sifting through that strange conversation with the dark mage and her eyes scanned every shadow for sign of his return. She had kept his visit a secret from everyone, scared of what such an association would do for her already fragile reputation. Her servants knew something was wrong; she barely ate and hadn't slept soundly since that night, but they were helpless to their mistress.

Lucy was no damsel in distress, though, and she spent nearly every waking moment in this library or that, looking up all information about the beginning of the war and Zeref that could tell her whether or not his story was true. Honestly, it didn't seem like too much of a stretch that the king would pretend to be the victim, attacked ruthlessly by an evil wizard for no reason what-so-ever, when it was his own forefathers that started and perpetuated the war for their own gain. Lucy knew well enough that the humans made the mages fight this war for them, and it was completely believable that they'd have made the war to begin with.

While she could find no written accounts that so brazenly promoted Zeref's story, she couldn't find any (credible sources, at least) that completely ruled out the possibility he was telling the truth. And that was taking into account that all these books were written by scholars and historians of Fiore, thus more likely to promote the good image of their kingdom over sympathy for the black mage that tortured it.

She also inquired into black magic, gaining not a few suspicious glances by the Crocus librarians, but unfortunately there wasn't much to be read anyway. It was ancient, dark magic that most mages liked to pretend didn't exist; it would only make them seem like more of a threat. It was strictly outlawed, and all scholarly work about it was so censored there was hardly any real information left behind.

She could find nothing detailing this curse Zeref had spoken of, the one that had supposedly made him immortal (which, seeing as he was already four-hundred years old and looked to be in his early twenties, didn't seem completely outrageous). Lucy, however, wasn't so sure it was an unintentional curse as something he'd done quite willingly in a search for eternal power. However, that line of thought would have to be relegated as speculation.

The bit about the dragons had been surprisingly easy to corroborate. It seems humans had kept detailed records of known dragons and their nests, along with any humans that learned their craft. "Dragon slaying" they called it, though quite ironically most of these "slayers" seemed to think of themselves as more dragon than human, often fighting against humans and mages to protect the large reptilian beasts. Rather than being slayers of dragons, they were slayers like dragons.

It had only taken a few minutes of tearing through the records to find a young boy named Natsu had indeed been taken in by the fire dragon king, Igneel, over four centuries prior. However, there was no mention of him being a demon at the time, and after Zeref's forces had slaughtered the dragons who sought to protect humans from his demons, the boy seemed to disappear from history altogether.

 _Maybe he died in the battle,_ Lucy thought sadly. She'd never heard of Zeref having a brother before, or of a demon named Natsu. Then again, this was four-hundred years ago. Even if he had survived, he must have died long ago from old age or disease or something.

A loud crash brought Lucy out of her thoughts.

She was sitting in her library amidst piles of books that almost concealed her from sight, like a fort. The celestial mage reached for her keys at her hip and wasted no time in calling out one of her trusty spirits.

"Open Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!" she said, and a pink-haired maid shimmered into existence next to her.

"Punishment time, princess?" the spirit asked with a bow.

"I think there's something going on out there," Lucy whispered, straining her ears for any sign that someone was attacking. "Let's go find out."

Admittedly, Lucy was not battle-ready in any sense. She could only open one gate at a time, and even then it was only for a few minutes. However, hopefully it was just some robber who would easily frighten at the sight of the celestial spirit and leave of their own accord.

Hopefully.

The pair cracked the door open and peeked their heads out into the empty hallway. Everything looked quiet and boring as usual, and for a moment Lucy wondered if one of the servants had simply dropped something.

A second crash eradicated all doubt. Their servants were all top notch, and none were remotely _that_ clumsy. Lucy began down the hall toward the sound, Virgo quick on her heels. When she heard one of the servants scream, Lucy sprinted as fast as she could in her finery and heels, until they made it to the entrance hall.

In the middle of the wide, marble floor was a large blue demon with four arms and a spikey head. Lucy froze, horrified.

 _I'll be in touch._

What had she done to incur the dark mage's wrath enough that he'd send a demon to kill her?

She shook her head. There was no time to think about that stuff. Right now, she had to focus on getting everyone safely away.

"Virgo, tunnel down and get Spetto. Then take her and the other servants and get them far away from here."

"But what about you?"

"That thing is here for me, Virgo. I'm not stupid enough to think I can fight it. Just don't let anyone else get hurt, understand?" Lucy was shaking with fear, but her determination didn't waver as she stared at her spirit.

"Yes, princess," Virgo said quietly before disappearing through a tunnel in the ground.

Within seconds she had retrieved the terrified maid and vanished back into her hole. Lucy took a shaky breath and turned her gaze to the monstrous demon.

"What do you want from me?" Lucy asked, somehow managing to keep her voice from wavering too much, though she couldn't keep her knees from wobbling cravenly as the demon turned its focus to her.

"You're Lucy Heartfilia?" it asked, its voice deep and gravelly.

"I am," she said, gripping the banister for strength.

"I'm here to take you to my master," it said stepping towards her.

"W-why?" she asked, taking a step backwards as it came nearer.

"I don't care why, you're coming with me," it said, clearly getting agitated.

Lucy gripped her keys in her hand for strength, hoping that Virgo had managed to get everyone far enough away before she turned around and began sprinting down the hall away from the strange beast.

"You can't run from me, girlie," it said menacingly behind her, and she swallowed the urge to scream as she heard its pounding footsteps getting closer and closer behind her.

Lucy turned sharply and ran down an adjacent hall to a smaller staircase that led to the servant's quarters. She'd hoped the narrower passages would prevent the demon from following, but it seemed he just as easily smashed through the stone and wood. She practically fell down the stairs, losing one of her shoes in the process and quickly discarding the other. She hated those heels anyway.

Her bare feet pounded against the ground frantically as the beast behind her destroyed everything in its path. She could barely think, her whole body running purely on adrenaline and instinct. She dashed into the kitchen where piles of chopped vegetables spoke of the dinner she was supposed to have had. Without thinking she grabbed the knife from the chopping board and turned to face the demon that was bursting through the door.

This was the end of the line. She knew she couldn't out-run this thing and she couldn't win against it, but at least she could put up a fight.

"Open gate of the Lion: Leo!" she yelled, and a golden gate shimmered open.

"Lucy!"

The suave lion stepped out, looking at her worriedly. She'd never been able to sustain her magic this long before, and it was sure to go out any moment now, so Leo wasted no time in charging towards the monster. She gripped the counter with one hand for balance as her magic drained from her, the knife clutched in her other hand. The clash of the lion against the demon sent carrots and potatoes flying.

Unfortunately, her power didn't last long, and after a few hits the lion disappeared in a shower of sparkles back into the spirit world. Lucy breathed heavily, leaning on the table for support as she glared up at the demon. She flung the knife at its spikey form, but it just bounced off his skin and clattered to the floor, serving only to annoy the monster more. It growled at her and she stepped back, now completely defenseless. As she let go of the table, the last of her strength left her. She tripped on her skirts, tumbling ungracefully to the ground as everything went black.

* * *

"…you to bring her to me I meant _alive_ , you brute, not half-dead," a male's voice growled lowly.

"She wore herself out trying to fight me, I didn't hurt a hair on her head," a deep voice responded defensively.

"All of you are bloody useless. I just have to make Natsu do everything, don't I? He's the only one of you that can actually carry out an order."

"I apologize, my lord," the deeper voice groveled.

"Just get out of here before Lamy has to revive you," the man said.

Lucy cracked her eyes open as she heard a heavy door shut, presumably behind the demon that had brought her here. Her head throbbed as she pushed herself up on her elbows and glanced around. She was in what appeared to be a kind of study. There was a large desk on one side of the room and the walls were lined with books. She was laying on a couch, her dress torn and her feet still bare. Memories of what just happened crashed down on her as she spotted the man standing on the edge of the shadows.

"Forgive me, Lady Heartfilia. I had not intended for you or your home to be harmed," Zeref said, moseying over to sit in a chair opposite of her.

In the firelight she could see him better than she had last time. She still couldn't believe how young he looked, just a few years older than herself. However, the power that emanated from him couldn't be mistaken for the power of a twenty-something. It was dominating, ancient, and even now Lucy could feel the natural instinct to submit to him well up inside of her.

Of course, she wasn't a lady of natural instinct.

"Where are we?"

"In my demons' flying cube. It's a bit boorish, I'll admit, but it gets the job done," he said.

"Why am I here?" she asked sharply and she thought the mage's eyes seemed to smile at her defiance.

"I only wish to speak with you. I have a proposal of sorts, you see. Something I think you might be very interested in."

His black eyes examined her, betraying none of his thoughts.

"Proposal?" Lucy pushed herself up until she was sitting more properly in the chair. Or at least as properly as she could with no shoes and a torn dress.

"You remember, I hope, our previous conversation?" the black mage said.

"You mean your impromptu midnight history lecture?" she bit back. Fear had begun to subside, replaced by something akin to irritation. Zeref smiled in amusement.

"There are a lot of eyes on you, my lady. I had hoped to keep any connection with me discrete, for now at least."

"And sending a demon bursting into my hope to kidnap me counts as discrete," she returned testily. The man frowned slightly.

"That was my mistake. I should have sent Natsu," he said. "Talk about boorish. He's destructive, but at least he's got a shred of tact more than the others."

"Natsu…," Lucy said at the name. "Your brother?"

Zeref look impressed. "So you remember our talk quite well, I take it?"

"I remember enough," she said, trying to hide the fact she'd combed through nearly every second of it.

"Then you remember how I said my goals have changed, I assume. I think I have a way to accomplish those goals, with minimal blood-shed, and I think you can help."

"Why would I help you?" she almost spat.

Even if he had spent centuries pulling the short stick on justice, that didn't change what he'd done and the hell he'd put so many people through.

"Because I believe you want to see this war come to an end as much as I do. I know you are tired of seeing mages fight and die on the front lines, and you are tired of the injustice the face when they return. Together, we can stop it," he said.

He lounged back regally, confidently as his black eyes captured her attention fully. She couldn't break away from his dark gaze, no matter how much it scared her. She didn't trust this man, but if he thought he had a solution, she at least wanted to hear it.

"And what is this magical solution of yours?"

"It's not magic at all, my lady. It's a treaty. A peace treaty," the mage said.

"What makes you think after all this time our king will even glance at your treaty? Treaties rely on trust, and you'll be hard pressed to find a single person in Fiore that would trust you."

"That's where you come in," he said.

"I certainly don't trust you," Lucy snapped.

"But you want to."

Lucy stared at him for a moment. She wanted to deny his words, but they were true. She _did_ want to believe that he wasn't as awful as she'd believed, and that together they could somehow help bring her kingdom a well-earned peace.

"What would you have me do?" she asked nervously.

"Marry me," he said instantly. "Then, as my ambassador and a subject of Fiore, I want you to take my treaty to your king, imploring him to make peace."

"Make peace?" Lucy asked, trying not to get distracted by the whole 'marry me' thing.

"I request to lay down arms and keep the land I hold now so I can turn it into a legitimate country with you as my queen. In my kingdom, mages will be able to live freely, without fearing their fellow villagers or government," he said.

Zeref stood and strode across the room to his desk and extracted two scrolls of paper. He moved like a cat, smoothly and surely as he crossed the room back to Lucy and handed them to her.

"I have drawn these up and will send them with you to review as you make your decision. One is a transcript of the peace treaty I wish the king of Fiore to sign. The second is a marriage contract, detailing all legalities and expectations. If you have anything you wish to add or amend, please let me know."

"I-I can't marry you!" Lucy spluttered suddenly as the absurdity of it all crashed around her. She stood up and backed away into a bookshelf. "You're centuries older than me! And-and I can't be a queen! I think you're mistaken about all of this."

Her mind was racing, trying to keep up with everything he was saying.

"I am rarely mistaken, my lady."

"But why marry me? Surely a twenty year old unaccomplished mage means nothing to you."

"On the contrary, Lady Heartfilia, you are an important player in all of this. You are the only mage member of the nobility, the only one who has been fighting to get mages across the land the rights they deserve. That has not gone unnoticed," Zeref said as he took his place back in his chair.

Lucy however didn't sit down, choosing instead to remain standing by the wall.

"I'm nothing but a pampered princess trying to play wizard to them," she said, unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.

When she was younger she'd dreamed of joining a wizard's guild, fighting alongside nakama to bring peace to the kingdom. As she'd grown older, though, she realized that she was a prisoner to her station, her corsets and heeled-shoes the chains that bound her inside her mansion-cage.

"I know that is a lie, my lady, as do you. You are well respected, trusted by mages. You're a symbol of hope to them. They see you and think that perhaps if a mage can be accepted at court then they can be accepted in their own towns."

Lucy said nothing, instead turning her gaze to the blazing fire.

"Like you said, treaties are based on trust. If I were to stroll into the palace today and hand this to the king he would turn it away without any consideration. If you, however, the darling of the mages and icon of hope, were to convince the people who fight this war for your monarch that the treaty is a legitimate and that I can be trusted to uphold my promise to give them a better life, then the king will have no choice. After all, he's not the one fighting and dying thanklessly."

"So why marry me? Why not just have be as an ally?"

"I'm well aware of my own reputation, Lady Heartfilia. If you walked in there simply as an ally, everyone would believe that I'd blackmailed you into it. It has to be believable."

"And our marriage would be believable?" Lucy scoffed.

"I think you could make it believable."

Lucy turned her gaze back to the black mage. How on Earthland could she marry _him_?

"People will want to believe in my goodness just like you do. If people think I'm in love with you, it makes me seem less like a monster and more like one of them, like someone they can trust. After all, you are beautiful, Lucy, and accomplished in many ways. It's not so unbelievable that you could seduce a misunderstood man of evil," he almost seemed to smirk and Lucy flushed lightly. "It would make a good fairy tale at least."

He stood up and walked to stand in front of her by the fire.

"I do not intend to force you to do anything. I simply ask that you consider," he said softly. "This could be our chance to end this horrific war and allow mages to live freely. I know your kingdom is experiencing a strain on resources, food is becoming scarcer and scarcer, children are born while their fathers die in battle, and for what? I don't like seeing innocent people hurt. Please, consider it at least."

A deal with the devil. However, if it brought peace would it even matter how it came about? A single loveless marriage seemed like more than a fair trade for the end of a detestable war. Lucy clutched the scrolls in her hand and nodded, turning her eyes away from his penetrating black stare and trying not to think about how pretty he was or how close he was standing.

"I'll have Natsu return you to your home. I'll be back in a week for your answer. I encourage you to seek the advice of legal council, but please try to keep the matter confidential for now. And remember, Lady Heartfilia, your willing participation is important to me. If you decide not to take my offer, no harm will come your way, but the war will not stop and more mages will die. I don't think either of us wants that," he said calmly, turning away from her to stare into the fire.

At that moment, she could see the four-hundred year old man that lay beneath the surface of his young skin. She could see a man that was tired of war, tired of pain and despair. Marrying him was crazy, but perhaps in a crazy world a crazy solution was the only one that would work.

The door opened up behind her.

"Ah Natsu, perfect," Zeref said. "Please escort Lady Heartfilia back to her home, and try to make sure she's conscious when she gets there."

Lucy turned around, freezing as she looked at the demon in the doorway.

She realized then that Natsu hadn't disappeared from records after the incident with the dragons after all. In fact, he was in every record of the war that had been written throughout all four centuries of fighting, but it seemed Zeref was the only one to call him by that name anymore. The rest of the world knew him as END.

Zeref may be the evil mastermind behind the war, but END was the face of the war, many times the last face mages fighting him would ever see. He was ruthless, often consuming entire armies in his flames. He was nearly a perfect weapon, and nobody yet had even almost defeated him.

Lucy trembled slightly as the imposing demon looked right at her with his dangerous green eyes. She'd seen drawings of him before, but seeing him in person was all the more terrifying and…odd.

He had sharp horns that curled out from his salmon hair, large burgundy, leathery wings that protruded from his back, claws that could undoubtedly gut a man with a single slash, and a dusting of crimson scales over his tan skin. However, if it weren't for the demonic-accessories, he almost would have looked like a normal boy her age. A very attractive boy at that. Lucy noted absently that he looked nothing like his brother.

His eyes seemed to darken as he took in her shocked expression.

"Follow me," he said gruffly.

"Manners, Natsu," Zeref chided his brother who just _hmph_ ed in return. "I'll see you in a week, Lady Heartfilia."

She felt Zeref's eyes on her as she silently trailed after the demon out the door. He led her through a maze of stone hallways until they reached one of the sides of the cube structure. She stared out at the world beneath them but all she could see was cloud. Apparently Zeref really was going for discretion.

Before she could process what was happening, she was falling through the thick white clouds to her doom. She screamed and flailed before realizing that she was being held by END as they soared above her estate. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck burying her face in his chest as she felt them drop. Finally, she heard the loud flap of his wings slowing them to a halt as he landed by her front door.

The legendary demon set her down carefully. He turned to leave, but Lucy spoke up.

"E-END?" she asked her voice shaking with hesitation. "Do…with regards to this treaty…Do you think he will actually abide by it? Zeref, I mean."

Natsu looked at the girl in her torn dress with layers of petticoats spilling out. She shook slightly under his gaze, her full strength still not returned to her from her fight earlier. Lucy was scared and confused about all of this, and she didn't know what possessed her to ask Zeref's right hand man and most powerful demon for his opinion. Apparently the demon was equally shocked.

"Zeref is not one to break promises, nor threats," he said simply, unwilling to lie to the girl, yet unable to speak ill of his master. She looked sweet and innocent, and he cringed slightly at the thought of what marrying Zeref would do to her.

Lucy nodded and turned to enter her home, the documents still crushed in her hand. The reality of the evening seemed to crash down around her as she wandered back into her home, amidst a haze of exhaustion and fear.

This was going to be a long week.

* * *

Outside, Natsu turned and took flight into the night, his large wings pushing him higher and higher back to the cube. He didn't know what his brother was planning, but whatever it was couldn't be good. Zeref could hold a vendetta like no man Natsu had ever seen, and he knew his brother wanted to bring Fiore to its knees.

He also knew that they were closer than they'd ever been. The kingdom's resources were dwindling, their morale taking a dive as the mages continued to be repressed. It seemed so odd that Zeref would choose _now_ to institute a peace deal.

The demon didn't know how making peace would help Zeref exact his revenge, but he was sure the black mage's strategy would be infallible as always. Unfortunately for him, as one of Zeref's demons he was helpless to do anything but obey his brother and master while the world burned around them.

He clenched his teeth and continued to soar through the night, pitying the young girl with the world on her shoulders.


	4. Ch 3: A New Home

"Has she come to a decision yet?"

"You know she made her decision when you first offered it. As long as she doesn't find anything too scary in those document of yours…"

"Of course, not."

Natsu watched as his brother paced around the throne room. Everyone had been busy making the palace Heartfilia-appropriate ever since Zeref had proposed, dusting all the corners and getting bloodstains out of the carpet. Natsu himself had been set watching her all week, protecting her from anyone that might have uncovered her future link to the dark mage and thought to use her as a bargaining chip. It was still strange, the thought of his brother getting _married._ Of course it wouldn't be a happy, loving, traditional marriage full of children and arguing over whose turn it was to clean the dishes, but still.

"What are you really doing, Zeref?" the demon asked, his green eyes almost onyx in the darkness of the room.

"I don't know what you mean, little brother," the black mage said with a barely restrained smirk.

"You know what I mean. You don't _need_ to marry her, and all this nonsense about peace…"

"She's hot, maybe I just want a piece of eye-candy to take to bed."

Natsu snorted. For some reason the idea of his brother actually bedding her made him uncomfortable, and not just because it was his brother.

"That's even less believable than the peace."

"What can I say? It was love at first sight," his brother teased.

"Really, though. You're not going to…do anything to her? Are you?" Natsu's wings swayed nervously behind him.

"Are you _jealous?_ She truly is beautiful, I'll give you that, but don't expect anything from her, brother. She may be a friend to the mages, but you're no mage, and she's a lady nonetheless. She'll have certain expectations for her suitors… and I doubt they entail horns," Zeref smiled cruelly, but Natsu just glared at him.

"I'm only teasing, Natsu. Lighten up. Of course I won't harm her, she's a vital part of my plan. Without her, the mages will never come to me. My marriage contract forbids me from hurting her, and besides, I need her pretty for our outings. She's to be the face of my new empire. If you're really good, though, I may let you play with her," Zeref insinuated darkly.

"The mages will come to you? That's what you want?" Natsu said, ignoring his brother's banter about the blonde heiress.

Zeref frowned slightly, an expression that would terrify any demon other than END. The fire demon knew he was too valuable to his brother to be destroyed for anything trivial. He was the only one who could talk back to the black mage, a position he rather coveted.

"Natsu, I know you don't believe me, but I am building a brighter future. Not just for us, but for all mages. It's not just a catch-phrase for me, it's an ideal I seek to implement, and I think I can, with Lucy at my side."

Natsu continued to glare at his brother for another few seconds before turning to leave. He knew better than to expect the whole truth from him, but Zeref was lying to his face. For all his faults, his brother had always been truthful. An uneasy feeling settled into his stomach.

"Little brother," Zeref called behind him. Natsu looked back, glancing between his wings at his brother's form still pacing amongst the shadows. "It goes without saying, of course, that I'd prefer if sweet little Lucy weren't troubled with any of your conspiracies. As much as I hate the vulnerability of it, I do need her to trust me."

The demon nodded curtly, recognizing the order for what it was. As a demon, he knew there was no denying an order from his master, no matter how much he disagreed. At least he trusted that the girl wouldn't be harmed by Zeref, though he'd have to keep an eye on the other demons.

The fire dragon demon didn't know why he was so concerned for the young mage. He'd killed hundreds just like her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that none of them were really _just_ like her. Something about her was unique, there was a spirit about her that was unshakable. The demon feared that a small part of him had begun to hope. Hope that she could change Zeref or change the war, he didn't know, but either way it was a huge burden for such a small girl, and he felt guilty placing it on her.

Besides, he'd learned long ago that hope was useless.

Still, he hated the idea of his brother corrupting her, wearing down on her soul gradually until she just faded away. She was so bright, so _alive,_ like one of her stars, and in his eyes, just as untouchable. He knew she felt fear around all these demons, he could smell it in her, but even still she had held her ground. Natsu understood why the mages would follow her, why she was a symbol of hope to them. There was something about her that was indomitable, and in a world that was ruled by ruthless domination, that was something people needed to believe in.

* * *

Natsu landed quietly on the grounds of the estate. For a large and obvious demon, he was rather good at sneaking around as his brother had been having him do since returning Lucy to her home. He was to "keep an eye on her"; simple enough instructions, though such a strange thing to waste your most powerful demon on. Surely any of the lower demons could have done just as well, but alas it was Natsu who was relegated to creeping amongst the shadows and shrubberies, watching as the girl made her decision.

Or more as she accepted her decision. She'd made it instantly; there was no way she would pass up the opportunity to save the world. However, since then Natsu had watched as she'd desperately tried to find a good reason not to go ahead with it.

She'd searched for any tricky wording in the documents and thought up unexpected scenarios, consulted with lawyers and her spirits (all under oath, of course), and at one point the girl had even tried convincing herself that perhaps she was truly in love with one of the suitors her father had tried to set her up with, even though the man was at least twenty years her senior and his own son from a previous marriage had tried making a move on her.

As the week came to a close, Natsu was sure of two things: that she would take the deal and that she talked to herself way more than any normal person did.

Now, shrouded in leaves as he perched on a tree by her bedroom window (in a completely uncreepy way, of course), it was time for her answer. Zeref would be appearing any moment now, and Natsu was hiding out as back-up in case something went wrong.

The young lady entered the room and turned on all of the lights, careful to eradicate any shadows that the dark mage could hide in. Natsu watched with a light blush as she unbuttoned her dress and removed it, leaving her in only her corset and petticoats. He turned his head to stare at the ground while she changed, but not before he caught a glimpse of her curvy form.

Her breasts nearly spilled over her corset, protesting their imprisonment. Natsu had the urge to fly in and touch her just to see if she really was as soft as she looked. Her skin glowed in the low light as she picked out another dress, a pretty aquamarine one with gold accents, and fastened it to herself. Natsu peeked back up to ensure she was dressed just as she finished with the ribbon at her waist.

He hated to admit when his brother was right, but she really _was_ gorgeous. She looked like the milk and honey she smelled of. Her eyes were bright and fierce within her lovely face framed by her gold-spun hair. He couldn't deny he felt drawn to her; a strange, instinctual attraction, like a moth to a flame.

But he was an ugly moth, with scales like shiny red scabs all over his body, grotesque wings protruding from his back, and those awful twisted horns, so demonic in appearance even other demons had a hard time looking at him. And that was to say nothing of his history, his reputation of evil and destruction, even if it was at the command of his brother. In a fairy tale she'd be the princess, and he'd be the evil dragon that held her prisoner.

Still, he found himself drawn into the kinds of fantasies that had always eluded him. He'd never cared for women in the way men typically did, but Lucy aroused something deep inside of him. Something like him had no business thinking about someone as beautiful and angelic as her. She was everything good in the world, and he was everything bad, broken and forgotten.

As he sat on that limb, however, watching her pace anxiously about her room, his mind kept falling into strange dreams. Lips, his upon hers, and breaths, bated, frantic. Her smooth, soft skin underneath his sharp claws, her hands wound around his horns pulling him in for more…

His thoughts shifted as he saw his brother materialize in the room and he shook his head, berating himself. He was such an idiot. He'd gone four hundred years without ever looking twice at a woman, and here he was fantasizing about the very one that was going to marry _his brother._ And why? He hardly knew her except for what he'd seen through the windows of her estate. Perhaps he really was just a disgusting demon, a lowlife like the rest of them drawn to beautiful things just so he could destroy them.

But he didn't want to destroy her. No, he growled at the thought of even a hair on her head being harmed. He wanted to protect her, shield her from the world, from evil, the demons and his brother. He wanted to see her smile, laugh, be happy. _Maybe this is what Igneel used to talk about…_

He closed his eyes roughly at the thought of Igneel. There was no use thinking about the past; it was gone, and he was here. He clenched his jaw and looked back to his brother and the celestial mage through the window; on the outside looking in, as always.

* * *

Everything was going so fast.

Literally. The ground was zooming beneath them as Zeref's cube swept them to his castle. Lucy was anxious to arrive and be introduced to the other demons. The ones she'd met so far had been less than thrilled with their master's new alliance, except for END, who was cryptically stoic. He had been assigned as her body guard of sorts; apparently he was the only one the black mage actually trusted to not rip her head off when he wasn't looking.

She looked back across the horizon to where she'd just left. After accepting Zeref's proposal, he'd allowed her a few moments to gather any particularly important items and say goodbye to her staff. Her father had been at a dinner party; she never did get around to telling him about her marriage. Solemnly she wondered how he'd take the news when he heard. Would he be sad that she didn't say goodbye? Or angry that she'd married without his permission? Perhaps he would be worried that Zeref would hurt her. Or maybe he just wouldn't care, and go about business as usual. Maybe he'd even be glad she was gone…

"Lady Heartfilia? Is something wrong?" a masculine voice from behind her asked.

She turned to see END staring at her, his pretty green eyes concerned. She reached up and felt tear-trails on her cheeks. She hadn't cried in so long, and the action rather confused her. Surely she didn't still care what her useless father thought of her?

The blonde wiped her face hastily and gave an unconvincing smile to the demon.

"No, nothing," she said, and he didn't press her. "How much further to the palace?"

"We're nearly there," END replied. "You should be able to see it…Yeah, right there."

He pointed to a jagged black mound in the distance, its shard-like silhouette defiant against the oranges and pinks of the sunrise. As the cube neared the castle, Lucy found it was quite impressive. Dark-stoned towers jutted into the air, and she could easily imagine how it could double as a military fortress. The building stood alone, not surrounded by homes and shops like the royal city of Fiore, and even in the morning light the place seemed dark, fitting for Zeref.

Finally the cube came to a stop, and END flew Lucy down to the entrance of the palace. Her legs shook slightly underneath her, but she walked gracefully into the fortress with Zeref's lead demon right behind her.

It was clear that the black mage wasn't one for unnecessary decorations, though everything was clean and of the highest quality. A few servants stood orderly along the side of the entrance hall, waiting for their command, and Zeref himself was standing in the center of the hall. After she'd formally accepted his proposal he had disapparated back to the castle with his own magic to make sure everything was complete. Lucy wondered darkly if there were bodies stuffed hastily into a closet somewhere, and desperately hoped the thought was absurd.

"Lady Heartfilia, welcome to my humble abode," Zeref said as Lucy curtsied.

"It is quite lovely," she said, and Zeref smirked.

"You don't have to lie to me, my lady. I'm afraid I've neglected it for far too long, and I never put much effort into making it look nice. I'll trust you can help me on that front, now that it is your home as well," he said, and Lucy just looked around in a daze.

He was right, it _was_ her home now. She wondered how long it would be until it felt that way.

"Your room has been prepared, and we have food ready. Would you like to eat first?"

"I'll take my food in my room for now, I'm rather tired," she said. It was true enough, though part of her just needed a minute to process everything. Signing a document and moving into to a cold, dark castle were two very different things.

"Of course," Zeref said, nodding to one of the servants who practically sprinted back to the kitchens. "This way."

Lucy followed him through the castle, which was a confusing maze of fire-lit, dreary hallways, all made of dark grey stone. The blood red carpet was the only color, and the whole place felt like a dungeon of sorts, with few windows for sunlight to filter through. She shuddered to think what the dungeons were like.

"I really do apologize for the state of this place," Zeref said quietly, glancing over his shoulder at his new wife. "I had this place built about three hundred years ago, but never got around filling it up."

"I'd imagine waging war is a time-consuming business," Lucy said. Behind her, Natsu stifled a chuckle at her cheekiness.

"Indeed," Zeref said, his eyes bright with amusement at her daring. "This is your room. Mine is at the end of the hall over there, but I'm rarely in it. Most of the time I'm in my study. I'll let Natsu give you a tour later, though. I'm sure you're exhausted."

He opened the door and stepped in. Lucy was glad to see that her room was very unlike the rest of the palace. Vibrant tapestries hung over the stone walls, lots of oranges and reds to compliment the red carpeting. The furniture was all exquisitely carved, deep brown wood. In the corner a fire raged, its much-needed warmth gracing the room. Along one of the walls was a large bookshelf full of various tomes she couldn't wait to jump into. To the side she could see a wardrobe fully stocked, and a bathing room connected through a door to the side.

"I hope it is to your liking," Zeref said. "If there is anything at all you need or desire, it will be provided. You are neither a guest nor a prisoner here, but rather the Lady of the house, and I want you to be comfortable. Ah, Meredy!"

Lucy turned to the door where a short girl with pink hair stood holding a tray of food.

"May I enter, my lady?" she asked, taking Lucy by surprise by addressing her directly. She nodded, and the girl walked across the room, setting the tray down on a desk.

"This is Meredy, one of my best maids. She has been assigned directly to you, so if you need anything just ask her," Zeref said, dismissing the girl with a wave of his hand. She bowed low and exited the room.

"For the time being, Natsu will be assigned to your personal protection. He'll stay outside of your room as a guard, but please don't misunderstand. He's not keeping you prisoner, and if you want to explore the rest of the place you're more than welcome to. I just want him close to you until the others…adjust to your presence," Zeref said.

Lucy frowned slightly, not crazy about the idea of a powerful demon standing outside her door 24/7. However, at least that powerful demon seemed to kind of like her, whereas all the other powerful demons didn't, so she said nothing about it.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"Well I assume now you eat and take a nap," Zeref said playfully.

"I mean bigger picture," Lucy said, too tired to catch his teasing.

"Well, the first order of business is getting you settled in and prepared to speak to the king. For now, all of my forces have been recalled from battle and have been ordered not to attack. We will discuss the treaty in length later, and then sometime next week you will present it. First impressions are the most important, so we'll be working on how to explain the deal and our marriage not just to the king, but to the people. They will be the deciding factor in all of this."

Lucy just nodded her head, unsure of what to say. It was all so unreal. She was really going to end this war!

"Good. Natsu will escort you to breakfast in the morning, and we'll go from there."

Lucy nodded again.

The dark mage walked over to her, taking her hand in his. She looked at him in shock as he smiled kindly.

"I know this is an arranged marriage, and we have many larger issues to tend to," her husband said. "But I also want us to get along. I doubt we'll ever fall in love, I'm far too old for that, but I do think that we could be good companions. I'd hate for you to reach the end of your life and regret having wasted it with me."

"If I can help my people find peace, there will be nothing to regret," Lucy said softly.

Zeref leaned down and kissed her hand tenderly. "I'll see you tomorrow then," he said, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Alone in her room, Lucy took a deep breath. Her heart and mind were rapidly trying to adjust, but her body was merely tired. She hadn't slept at all as she waited in anticipation for Zeref to arrive the day before, nor had she managed to relax on the cube surrounded by demons who looked like they'd like nothing better than to see her fall to her death.

 _You can do this, Lucy_ , she told herself. Maybe if she kept saying it, one day she'd actually believe it.

Without even touching her food, she laid back on the bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **Sorry I took so long. I know this chapter is a bit boring, but once the stage is set I promise it'll pick up.**

 **Thanks so much for reading, and I'd love to hear your thoughts! XOXO**


	5. Ch 4: Getting to Know You

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long for so little, but I've been preparing for NaNoWriMo amongst other things. Anyway, I'll probably be AWOL for the next month or so as I try to pound out a novel. If any of you have never tried it before, I highly encourage you to; it's loads of hectic fun!**

 **As always, I love hearing your thoughts about what I write (positive and negative, as long as it's constructive), and I hope you have a good month!**

* * *

Life in Zeref's castle was interesting, to say the least. It was clear that the dark mage was withholding no expense to make sure Lucy felt at home. Though the serving staff was a bit unsophisticated and the whole palace seemed perpetually drenched in darkness, she found that neither of those things bothered her as much as she might have expected. Perhaps it was because she'd spent her whole life in a pretty, furnished cage. At least here, she felt like she was really doing something.

Her days were long and busy as the newly-wedded couple prepared to present their plan to the king. Zeref went through the document with her in full, discussing finer details and their legal implications. He was surprised by how smart she was. He'd known her to be an activist, of course, but he hadn't expected her to be so genuinely intelligent. He made a mental note to keep an eye on her; an intelligent companion was preferable to a dim-witted one, but much harder to control.

Lucy rehearsed her presentation to the king nearly a thousand times over before the fortnight came to a close. Everything, every word and pause, glance and step was carefully planned. It was exhausting, and her only moments of reprieve were when she retired to her room at night. She thoroughly enjoyed all of it, though, especially when it came to learning more about her mysterious husband.

Zeref was more patient and precise than she could ever have imagined. As he trained her how to speak and present herself, she realized that these tips were coming straight from his own playbook. The deliberate manipulation of language, the balance of charisma and mystery, the careful concealing of interests and intentions, all of it was the accumulation of centuries of life and war. Instinctually she knew more than ever that he was not the young man he looked. Even if she spent her whole life by his side, she doubted she would ever learn to read him.

Luckily for her, their inherent differences were harder to spot from afar, and she felt confident that she could sell their relationship to the people.

The only person she was with more than Zeref was Natsu. The demon had apparently been given orders to stalk her absolutely everywhere she went, something that didn't bother her too much when she saw the sly looks of the other demons. Natsu was very…stoic. Lucy had tried engaging him in conversation a few times, but he always answered her gruffly and to the point. He even went so far as to avoid looking at her, which hurt her pride a bit.

Sooner than she ever would have believed, the fire demon's presence felt natural, comforting almost in her foreign home. She could tell that he truly meant her no harm, something she still couldn't decipher about his master. She didn't fail to notice his protective stance when other demons were near, nor the way his eyes seemed to linger on her when he thought she wasn't looking. Even if he only protected her because of his orders, it made her feel safer.

However there seemed to be a divide between them that he clearly wasn't interested in closing. Perhaps Zeref had ordered him to keep his distance? Or maybe he was just tired of playing baby-sitter. He was a powerful and widely-feared demon, after all. Surely he felt he had better things to do besides following around some weak human heiress…

"My lady?" a gentle voice asked.

Lucy glanced up to see the servant girl, Meredy, looking at her with concern, holding a tray of food. Lucy regularly took her food in her room; it was a time for her to wind down from the long days, away from the prying eyes of demons and servants alike. She understood why they were all so curious about her, but it didn't make her feel any less like a zoo animal.

"Come in," Lucy said with a smile.

The pink haired girl entered the room, shutting the door lightly behind her. As the door shut, Lucy could just make out one of Natsu wings from his post outside her room. Meredy crossed over to the desk where Lucy sat and placed the tray in front of her. She looked at the younger girl carefully before speaking.

"How did you come to work here?" Lucy asked, hoping it wasn't too sensitive a topic.

For a moment, the girl seemed taken by surprise. Lucy hadn't spoken much to anyone besides Zeref, partially because she didn't trust them and partially because they didn't trust her. However, it was time to start building those bonds; after all, she was going to be here for a long, long time.

"My sister, well _adopted_ sister, I suppose, brought me here. She is a captain in his army, very talented with disguise and the forgotten time magic," she said proudly, her hazy blue-green eyes gleaming. "Anyway, she found me when I was very young and took care of me. I don't remember much of my life before her."

"I never had a sister, though I always wanted one," Lucy mused with a smile. "Do you like it here?"

"Well enough," Meredy said before quickly glancing behind her shoulder, aware of the demon outside the door. "I have a home and a job, and a family whenever Ultear returns. So I guess it's all I could really ask for."

Lucy turned to stare out the small window in the wall at the stars. She wondered if she'd really had a family at all after her mother died. It seemed selfish to complain about abandonment when she had been abandoned in luxury, but the heart didn't care how many dresses she had or how soft her bed was; the sting of neglect was the same.

"I'm sure you'll like it here in time," Meredy offered hearteningly. Lucy spun to look at her and gave a small smile.

"If I can help bring this war to a close, then that is all that matters," she said. "Then one day your sister can stay with you instead of marching off to battle."

Lucy tried not to think too deeply about what 'marching off to battle' meant. That in truth the girl's sister left her to terrorize people who only wanted to live in peace, to kill magicians that were already deprived of natural rights, all under the orders of her morally-ambiguous husband.

Meredy smiled widely and bowed. "I would be forever grateful, my lady."

"Now go, you must be tired, and I'll not need anything for the rest of the night."

"Thank you, my lady. Have a pleasant evening."

With that, the slip of a girl slid out the door. Lucy sat down and picked at her dinner. The fire cackled brightly behind her, the only sound in the solemn palace. She tried writing a bit, but she was too tired to catch on to any inspiration and ended up just crumbling the paper and throwing it away. Then she glanced at the door with an idea.

"Natsu!" she called.

The demon opened the door and entered the room. He wasn't too much taller than she was, but wings and all he looked massive. His eyes twinkled in the firelight as they scanned the room for an explanation to him being called.

"Yes… my lady?" he said, clearly tacking on the title at the last moment.

"I'm bored."

She could have sworn his eyebrows rose slightly as if to say "that's not my problem". However, he kept himself composed.

"Bored, my lady?"

"Yes, I want you to talk to me. Or have you been forbidden from speaking to me?"

"Why would I be forbidden from speaking to you?" he asked innocently, and Lucy could have sworn she heard Zeref in his question. His eyes darted around the room, avoiding her completely as always.

"Well you never do."

"Perhaps I don't want to."

Lucy blushed a bit in embarrassment and hung her head shamefully.

"I-I don't mean that there's anything wrong with you in particular, my lady, only that…" he trailed off. She turned her head up to meet his troubled green eyes that finished that sentence before he quickly looked away again.

"Only that you don't expect I'll live long?"

He grimaced slightly.

"I didn't say that."

And indeed he really didn't mean it either. Lucy had proved she was strong in the face of fear and solitude, much stronger than anyone might have expected from a pampered heiress. Except Zeref, but he had a knack for planning these things. However, Natsu knew better than to get attached to anyone.

"Do you think I made a mistake in coming here?" she asked candidly.

He chewed on the inside of his cheeks, unsure of how to answer her. In truth, even he wasn't sure what Zeref had planned yet, and besides, she had already made her choice. There was no point in making her doubt herself after-the-fact.

"That's not for me to decide," he said diplomatically, his eyes looking towards the fire.

Lucy smirked.

"Good job avoiding that question," she said, and he blushed slightly, but not enough for her to notice against his already red scales.

"Zeref may be my brother, but above all he's my master. It is not for me to question his judgment, nor yours."

"Are you happy with that?" Lucy asked, and Natsu's eyes widened a bit at the bold question, but they kept their gaze towards the fire.

 _Happy?_ He couldn't remember the last time he was happy with anything. He couldn't bring herself to answer her.

"I've heard stories about you," she confessed, and he visibly winced at that. "About how you burn entire cities to the ground leaving only blackened bones and ash behind. People fear you almost more than your brother. All kinds of fantastic stories about you ripping people apart and eating their hearts still beating or laughing as you kill children in front of their parents."

"I don't eat people," he said to the fire, slightly disgusted at the thought.

"Oh?" Lucy probed, interested in what the fearsome demon had to say.

He turned his green gaze up to meet her curious one for just a moment before it fled again to the flames.

"I was designed to take orders from my master absolutely," he said stiffly yet with a kind of pleading. He didn't want her to think he enjoyed carrying out Zeref's sickening demands. He was unsure of why exactly he wanted Lucy to like him or why the thought of her fearing and hating him hurt. "My own feelings have nothing to do with it."

The blonde was silent for a moment as she took that in. He didn't deny doing those things she accused him of (well, except for eating people), but at the same time, he didn't seem to take any kind of sadistic satisfaction from it. In fact, he looked…ashamed.

His words played in her head. _Designed to take orders absolutely._ He was a prisoner trapped in his own body and forced to do the bidding of his brother, forced to stand idly by while his body carried out atrocious orders. She shuddered at the thought. It explained how he could have such an awful reputation and yet seem less than cruel in person.

"I'm sorry," Lucy whispered, feeling more and more guilty for dragging him into this conversation, which was clearly uncomfortable for him.

"It's not your fault," he said almost kindly. "And to be honest, I don't know what Zeref wants from you. Peace, a kingdom of his own, these are things he's never expressed much interest in before, but that doesn't mean he's not genuine. He's a brilliant strategist. Maybe he just sees a better way to get what he wants, whatever that may be."

He continued to stare at the flames as if he were speaking to them, so he didn't even notice as Lucy crossed the room to him. She placed her hand on his cheek and drew his gaze to her.

"Why won't you look at me?" she asked openly, and she could have sworn she saw him blush.

"I-I…" he choked out as he tripped over his own tongue. "You-you're very beautiful." His words were almost a whisper, and the scales on his cheek heated up to the touch.

Lucy smiled softly and dropped her hand, taking a step back to give him much needed space.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked with the tiniest of smirks.

"Of course not!" he said quickly, as if afraid to offend her, but as he caught sight of her grin he turned his face back to the flames. "I'm a monster…" He said it as if it were an explanation, and Lucy understood what he meant.

"I've met far worse monsters that look much more human than you," she said simply. "Besides, I think your scales are kind of cute."

At that, Natsu was sure he'd set the room on fire. He held his tongue and tried not to sputter like a school boy.

"Y-you should get some sleep," he said. "I'll just be...outside…yeah."

He turned to exit the room, but Lucy placed her hand on his arm.

"Natsu?" she said.

He turned and let his blazing green eyes meet hers. "Yes?" he said, far more breathlessly than he'd intended.

"I like talking to you," she said quietly.

"I like talking to you too," he returned, matching her tone.

He left the room, his heart pounding more ferociously than it had in years for anything other than fear. He tried not to let himself read too much into it, not to let himself hope that maybe she liked him… _A princess liking a demon?_ Maybe it could happen. The whole world was crazy and upside down, so maybe even this could happen. He couldn't help the small smile on his face as he took his post by her door, and he felt more awake than ever.

Inside the room, Lucy glanced at the door. He was so much different than she'd thought he'd be, and she found herself playing their conversation in her head over and over again. Even as she got dressed and turned out the light, she kept thinking of the pink-haired demon and his flaming green eyes that burned into her soul, and she couldn't wait to talk to him again.


	6. Ch 5: A Budding Friendship

**Hey guys! Thanks for being so patient with me. :)  
Things are definitely going to start getting a bit more exciting now. **

******As always, I'd love to hear what you think.**

* * *

"T-tomorrow?" Lucy asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Despite the rigorous preparation, she was still nervous at the thought of appearing in front of the king to deliver Zeref's request. She'd never been well-received at court, and she was sure her time with the dark mage hadn't endeared her to the nobles any more.

"Are you scared?" her husband asked as he cut at his lunch. His voice was neutral, but Lucy had learned to hear the ever-so-slight intonations that betrayed his emotions. In this case, he was teasing her.

She said nothing in return, refusing to admit to her cowardice. Instead shook her head as she took a bite of food and chewed regally.

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw him smirk slightly.

"It's only natural to be nervous," he said, with a half-hearted attempt at sounding supportive. "But you've practiced this a thousand times at least. You're ready. Just remember to hold yourself with confidence. It will say much more than your words."

"I still don't want to go alone," she said almost pathetically.

"You know why you must." Zeref's dark eyes looked right at her and she averted her gaze.

She did know. If Zeref himself were to appear at the castle, he would only incite more trouble, tempting the king to send his men to capture him. It was also certain to make Lucy look like a well-trained house pet that he had to keep on a leash. By appearing alone, the people would better believe that she acted of her own volition.

"Besides, you won't really be alone. Natsu will be with you." This time he definitely smirked, the budding friendship between his wife and brother not escaping his notice.

Lucy ignored his insinuation.

"He's just as wanted as you," Lucy said. "What will keep them from trying to capture him and ruining the whole endeavor?"

"Just flex his power a bit, let them know that they don't stand a chance against him, because they don't, and make it clear that he's under your command. He's the best demon I ever made, and it would take a true fool to provoke him before he attacks. If they've any sense at all, they'll choose to listen to you over burning to death."

Lucy shivered slightly. Despite the numerous times she'd been forced to stand humiliated as the court refused to hear her out, she hated the idea of the king listening to her under duress. It wasn't the way she wanted to do things, but then again, this was much more important than anything she'd ever done before. It was much more important that he hear what she had to say.

"And if he rejects the treaty?" Lucy asked, turning her eyes timidly back up to Zeref's.

He looked at her fiercely, confidence blazing in his dark eyes that contrasted starkly against his pale skin.

"He won't."

* * *

"Do we have to travel in that stupid cube?" Lucy asked with a pout.

Natsu grunted as he tried to lug her trunk out of her room, not getting very far. The box was heavy even for a demon, and he found himself wondering what all she put in there.

"I suppose you could walk instead, but you'd be an old lady by the time you got there and I don't think that's what Zeref's going for."

"You could fly us!" she suggested. She really detested the dystopian-looking flying contraption and all the demons it took to run it; the fire dragon demon was still the only one she got along with.

Natsu snickered. "No offense, Luce, but there's no way I can carry you _and_ this box of bricks you packed. What's in here, anyway?"

"Just the essentials…" she said, trailing off in a guilty way that only made the demon more curious.

He turned and began unlocking the trunk.

"Natsu! It's not proper to go through a lady's things!" she protested, trying desperately to close the trunk as he opened it.

"I'm a demon, there's nothing proper about me," he grinned, turning his bright green eyes down to see what it was she'd packed that had become the bane of his existence. His face descended into a picture of horror. "Sweet Mavis, Luce. Really?!"

Books. Lots and lots of books. Way more, in fact, than any sane person could need for a two day trip. At the top was a thin layer of clothing and an extra pair of shoes and, y'know, the kinds of things one was _supposed_ to pack for a diplomatic trip. The rest was (what felt to Natsu's back as) her entire library.

"Well, I don't know what I'll be in the mood to read while I'm gone, and I'm going to be nervous so I wanted to make sure I had all my favorites with me just in case," she said, twirling her hair around and avoiding all eye contact with the increasingly irate demon.

"This is stupid. I'm not carrying this one more step," Natsu declared, stepping away and crossing his scale-dusted arms dramatically.

"Natsu!"

"Nope. This is demon abuse. If you want to take your entire book collection with you to Crocus, you'll have to drag it yourself," he said with a huff.

"Fine, then! I don't need your help!" Lucy said, and she took hold of the trunk's handle, pulling hard to no avail; the thing didn't budge.

"…"

"Natsuuuu!" she begged and he gave her a hard look. "Y'know what, fine, I don't need you!"

She dug into the trunk and removed her key ring with all its glittering silver and gold keys.

"Open gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" she called, and a shimmering golden portal appeared with a pink-haired woman in a maid outfit stepping out.

"Punishment time, princess?" she asked.

"Punishment time? I wouldn't have expected you to be into that sort of thing, Luce," Natsu teased, and Lucy blushed at the accusing look he gave her.

"I didn't tell her to say that!" she defended but Natsu just watched her with silent amusement. Lucy huffed with frustration that the demon secretly found adorable. "Virgo, I need you to carry my trunk to the ugly cube. It seems the big bad demon here can't do it."

"Neither can you," the big bad demon muttered under his breath.

"Of course, princess," the maiden said, bending down to grab the trunk. The pink-haired woman gave one tug on it before standing up and bowing politely.

"I apologize, princess, but this trunk weighs as much as Earthland. Moving it will be impossible." With that the maid poofed in a shower of golden sparkles back to the spirit world.

Natsu smirked victoriously as Lucy attempted to pick up the shards of her shattered pride off the floor. She felt a twitch in her eyebrow as she glared at the fire demon.

"Fine! I'll repack! Happy?" she glowered.

There it was again. That word: happy. Natsu had believed he'd forgotten what it meant after all these years, but this past week had proven him wrong. Each night as she ate dinner, Lucy would call Natsu into their room and they'd talk. Sometimes it was about more serious things, but most of the time they were just silly conversations. The replaying of memories or debates over things that didn't matter. For a noblewoman, Lucy was weird, but the demon didn't mind. He cherished the way she looked at him, not like he was a monster, but like a person. Even more than that: like a person she liked.

Distantly he knew he was playing into Zeref's plan, but he couldn't bring himself to care. When he was with Lucy, he felt normal. He felt happy.

"Yeah, Luce. I'm happy," he said in a tone that shook Lucy out of her mock-anger. She blushed at the sincere look in his green eyes.

"H-help me put these books back," she ordered, turning to the trunk to hide her flustered composure. "And try not to burn anything!"

Natsu chuckled. "You know, there's no need to be nervous. I'll be there the whole time, so you don't need all these books."

The pair of them began restocking her shelves with the leather-bound treasures. Natsu didn't understand what she liked so much about reading, but then again, in all four-hundred odd years of life he'd never been particularly academic. To the side, Lucy frowned slightly.

"I know, I just… There's so much that could go wrong. What if we're attacked before I even get to speak? What if everyone just shuns me out and thinks I'm brainwashed? What if I'm making a huge mistake…"

"Hey," Natsu said, reaching a clawed hand out to gently lift her chin so their eyes met. "It'll be okay. You're doing what you think is right, that's more than most people can say about their lives. And like I said, I'll be there the whole time. If somebody tries to hurt you, I'll rip out their heart and eat it whole."

Lucy chuckled lightly. "I thought you said you didn't eat people," she reminded him.

"I could make an exception," he grinned, showing off his pointy teeth.

They continued to stack the books away, volleying sarcastic banter the whole time. They didn't even notice the pink head that spied on them from the doorway, an amused smile plastered on the young maid's face. Meredy slowly walked backwards, not wanting to interrupt the budding couple. She set the tray she'd been carrying down at the foot of the door and headed off down the hall to her room, her mind turning over what she'd seen.

It was an odd friendship to say the least, and yet it was growing faster than a wildfire. The young maid couldn't pinpoint any rhyme or reason, but something about them being together just seemed natural. It was a friendship that left all logic in the dust.

Back in the room, Natsu smiled wider than he could remember since his time with the dragons, and Lucy laughed as she hadn't since her mother died. It was painfully obvious to anyone who saw them that what they thought was mere friendship was edging closer and closer to something forbidden and taboo. The young princess and centuries-old demon, connected by her marriage to his brother. It was so wrong on so many levels, but neither one would be the first to stop it. Their minds warned them about trust and hope, about the dangers of getting too close, and knew they were doomed and that to love was to be vulnerable, especially around a man like Zeref.

But as they laughed and teased, none of that mattered. He was Natsu and she was Lucy, and together it felt like things might actually be okay.

* * *

Lucy's heart pounded as she watched the land of Fiore pass underneath them. She'd requested that they stop a few miles outside of the capitol, not wanting to intimidate anyone with the flying cube that was known to hold some of Zeref's fiercest demons. Luckily the others had readily agreed to the proposal, and so it was that as the Crocus skyline came peeking over the horizon, the large vehicle came to a stop.

Beside her, Natsu stood stiffly and let out a sigh of relief as they stopped moving. It was midday, and they'd been traveling for hours with Natsu looking queasy the whole time.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked for the thousandth time, and Natsu nodded warily.

"Motion sickness," he muttered out, using all his remaining strength to resist melting into a pool on the floor. That wouldn't do anything good for his reputation.

"Motion sickness?" Lucy repeated, a shit-eating grin spreading across her face. "A big, scary demon like yourself, brought to his knees by motion sickness?"

"I'm not on my knees," he said defensively.

"They're buckling a bit," she pointed out.

"Are not."

"I dare you to let go of the wall then."

"…"

Lucy laughed, and Natsu tried to ignore the way his whole body heated up at the sound as it caressed his ears. She pulled on his arm and let him away from the wall and back to her "room" while he stumbled around behind her.

"Centuries of mages fighting you, and to think, all they had to do was get you on a carriage!"

"You're having way too much fun with this," he groaned.

"Of course I am. I mean, sure, everyone's got to have a weakness, but who knew yours was so humiliating!" she said cheerily, pushing him down to sit on her bed as they entered the make-shift room. It was very bare, nothing but cold stone walls, but it was a place to relax away from the other demons.

"I have wings. I rarely ever have to travel on this thing," he said weakly.

"I offered to let you just fly us," Lucy said, remembering that she too had been less than enthused about riding the stupid cube.

"Next time I'll take you up on that…"

Lucy yawned lightly as she sat down on the bed next to him.

"You should sleep. We'll leave for the palace in a few hours." Natsu moved to get up, but the blonde quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back down. His wings fluttered lightly at her touch and he turned his head to look at her.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded. "I-I don't trust the others."

Natsu smiled, showing off his sharp canines. "I'm not going anywhere, just giving you more space. I don't trust them either," he confided.

Lucy blushed as his green eyes danced with her own before moving to lie down completely. She knew she was playing with fire here (literally), but she couldn't help the minute flirtations that passed between them, even if he was her brother-in-law. Her extremely handsome, scaly, winged brother-in-law.

He pulled up a chair and sat down beside her, adjusting his wings so they weren't cramped.

"Must be hard carrying those around everywhere," Lucy said drowsily as she watched him squirm about.

"Heh, yeah, not the most convenient for everyday stuff, but I can fly, so I think it breaks even."

Lucy smiled gently as she listened to his deep voice. Somehow through hundreds of years of war he still had a kind of boyish quality about him that was comforting. _Maybe he's a virgin?_

"What?" the deep voice asked, and Lucy's eyes flew open just in time for her to realize she'd spoken out loud.

"Uh…I…whoops…I mean, it's nothing to be ashamed of if-if you are…I'm also, y'know, and, well, not that you _are_ , but…uh…I really should get some sleep, so…bye." Lucy turned bright red as she flipped over and curled into herself.

 _Great going, Lucy,_ she chided herself, internally this time.

Natsu let out a gruff laugh, his cheeks positively flaming. _Was it that obvious?_ he wondered, as he leaned back in the chair and listened to the girl's racing heartbeat. He found that he really didn't mind. It was true, after all. He'd never found anyone that interested him like _that_. For a while his brother had tried to play match-maker, even going so far as creating demons specifically to sate Natsu's more instinctual urges, but to no avail. Despite all of Zeref's efforts, Natsu wasn't a creature of lust, and so he had resigned himself to a life of solitude.

Gradually he heard Lucy's heart slow down until it settled into a steady beat, accompanied by her slow, steady breaths. The room was dark, only a single candle burning on a table, yet her hair somehow managed to catch all of the light and shine it back in a shimmer of gold. She was beautiful, and for the first time Natsu began to entertain the thought of not being alone.

He felt like he was waking up from a bad dream, like he'd spent the past four hundred years asleep and now it was time to live again. In truth, all those years were a blur of flame and blood and screams, none of it committed to memory. Somehow, he knew, he'd managed to shut himself down, letting his mind hideaway while his body carried out his brother's atrocious orders. He'd smothered his humanity and compassion, everything that made him _Natsu_ , with fierce desperation.

So what was it about this pampered princess that made him want to wake up and rejoin the world? He knew it wasn't beauty alone. No, it was something much deeper, something the eyes couldn't see and the hands couldn't feel. Something instinctual and ancient and stronger than any of them.

He grinned silently in the lowlight

"You fool," he chuckled to himself, reaching out to gently stroke her hair.

He was a fool. He was a fool for thinking about her, dreaming about her. He was an even bigger fool for talking with her, getting close to her. And for falling in love with her, he was the biggest fool of all.


	7. Ch 6: A Royal Visit

**Hello, darlings. I finally got around to finishing this chapter. I apologize if it's not that exciting, but all of this is really important to the rest of the story so I couldn't skip the details.**

 **Anywho, leave a review and tell me what you think! I'll try to get the next chapter up faster than this one. XD**

* * *

Lucy took a deep, shuddering breath, eyes closed. She was glad to finally be on the ground, as the flight to the palace had been less than enjoyable. They were immediately bombarded by mages sworn to protect the city, and it had been only by Natsu's agile flying and the fact that the mages were reluctant to harm her that allowed them to enter unscathed.

 _Shoulders down, chin up. Be strong. Be confident._

She opened her eyes, meeting those of the horrified spectators around her. The inner part of the city where the palace sat was nearly devoid of mages. Their efforts, the king had decided, were best concentrated on the perimeter. Luckily for Lucy and Natsu, the foolish king had never imagined anyone would be able to get inside.

She stepped forward, infusing all twenty-odd years of trained grace into every movement. In the distance, someone screamed and people practically sprinted out of her way. She knew it wasn't her they were afraid of; it was the towering demon only a single pace behind her.

Of course, she was quite the vision herself. Her hair was done up elegantly, with a diamond and onyx tiara perched on her crown. She wore a positively regal black gown with golden embroidery displaying the Tartaros symbol along the hem. The dress clung to her waist like a second skin, and the sweetheart neckline put her voluptuous chest on display. Her golden keys hung off her hip, proof that Zeref had not "declawed" his bride. She was made to look both intimidating and desirable, an appropriate mate for the dark mage.

She walked like the queen she was supposed to be, her face expressionless as she glided to the palace doors. Guards scurried towards the entrance, calling desperately for backup while their knees knocked together in fear. They pointed their sharp spears and swords at her, eliciting a menacing growl from Natsu. A shiver ran down Lucy's spine; she'd never heard him sound like that before, at least, not in person.

"Stand down, END," she said, her voice almost unrecognizable even to herself. She sounded…powerful.

The wide-eyed guards glanced nervously from her to the demon, whose face was still in a dangerous glare.

"I wish to speak to the king," she said as if it were a completely reasonable request to want to enter the palace with a demon in tow.

"We cannot let you pass," one guard said, his voice shaky but he didn't stutter. Privately, Lucy applauded his bravery.

"Either you let us in willingly, or END will burn down this door and anyone who stands in my way," Lucy said.

She could feel herself slipping deeper and deeper into the role of the black mage's wife, far away from the pathetic little girl who used to have to beg for the king's attention. It was intoxicating, especially since she'd been ignored and ridiculed for so long.

But she had to keep her head on. She wasn't here for any kind of vengeance or to settle a vendetta against the court. She was here for the same reason she'd always come here: to fight for the people.

"W-we can't let you pass, Lady Heartfilia," the guard repeated.

She inwardly sighed. She'd already instructed Natsu not to hurt anyone too badly if it came to violence, but she really didn't want it to go that far. She could feel the demon behind her set himself ablaze with his signature fire as a show of strength. Just as he began to step forward, they heard something from the other side.

"…them in! The king has ordered to let them in!" a wheezy old voice said.

The guards looked to each other for confirmation before obliging the orders. With a loud groan, the heavy doors were opened. Lucy flashed them a heart-stopping smile before proceeding to enter to palace while Natsu extinguished the flames with a scowl.

"L-Lady Heartfilia…" the king's advisor began, but he didn't seem to know how to finish that sentence. Everyone, for that matter, was speechless. The entrance hall was full of nobles whose faces displayed varying degrees of terror, all turned to gawk at her as she strolled into their midst. Natsu hung back a bit, giving Lucy a bit more space now that the guards were further away, but he was still only a few steps away from her at all time, eyeing the crowd warily for anyone who might want to harm her.

With almost unnatural grace, Lucy walked to the throne room, ignoring everyone else. She looked completely calm and unaffected, but Natsu could hear her heart pounding in her chest even feet away. He wanted to hold her hand and remind her that he would protect her, but he knew he couldn't, not here and now, and that hurt.

The king looked half ready to piss himself as he sat upon his golden throne. Despite his straight face, even from a distance Lucy could practically smell his fear. She had a feeling that the only reason he had let her in was to avoid the reputation-shattering image of a demon burning down the door to the kingdom. This way, he at least felt he was still in control, even if they all knew that was a lie.

"Lady Heartfilia," he greeted coldly. "I must admit, I'm surprised to see you here. After you were captured by Tartaros, well, I was afraid we'd seen the last of you." He didn't sound too heartbroken.

Lucy nodded her head in acknowledgement but didn't bow. _You're there negotiating as an equal,_ Zeref had told her. She did, however, smile kindly.

"That would be my fault, King Fiore. My husband and I decided to keep our relationship secret for a while as we had more important matters to handle. As pleasurable as it would be, I admit I'm not here on a social call."

The poor king looked like he didn't know what to do with such a loaded statement. There were so many parts to pick at, so many questions barely raised and yet unanswered. He decided, finally, to go for the most obvious one.

"Your husband?" he asked incredulously, daring a meek glance at the demon behind her.

"Yes," Lucy said. "My husband, Zeref Dragneel."

The sudden silence in the room was deafening. It was as if everyone had stopped breathing and their hearts stopped beating. The king gaped openly for a moment before composing himself as much as possible.

"Your husband…Zeref?" he asked rather stupidly, and Lucy smiled.

"Yes," she stepped forward slightly before turning and pacing back towards Natsu. "I understand your shock. Even I can still hardly believe that I should have fallen in love with such an unlikely character. However, today is not the day to explain why I have given my heart and soul to a mage that I've grown up hearing horror stories about."

She reached her hand out to Natsu. Only his perceptive eyes could see the slight tremble, the way her eyes were dilated with nervousness. He reached into a bag they'd brought with them and extracted a scroll. As he passed it over to the blonde, he let his hand slide against hers slightly, their eyes meeting for the briefest of seconds. He tried to send her encouragement, but admittedly he just got lost in her chocolate eyes, loving the way they seemed to wrap him up in warmth and make _him_ feel secure.

Unbeknownst to him, his efforts were not in vain. Lucy took another deep breath and turned around with the scroll, boldly walking up to the king with newfound courage.

"My husband has a proposal for you, King Fiore. One that I implore you to accept, thus my reasoning for being here today. This war has lasted nearly four hundred years. Countless lives have been lost, and for what? The maintenance of a state which suppresses the very citizens that protect it?

"I cannot bear to see more lives sacrificed for nothing, to protect against an enemy that has been built in our minds. Zeref is not evil. He is no more evil than any other mage, he is simply more powerful and as a result he has been ruthlessly pursued by generations of kings who seek to harness that power for their own selfish gain."

It was clear that Lucy wasn't just speaking to the king, but to everyone in the hall. She trailed around the room, standing tall and proud while her black skirt swayed around her. She was thankful for the merciless hours of training Zeref had put her through that made all of this feel like second nature.

"I admit, when he and I first met I was fearful. I too had grown up hearing about his evil deeds, believing them to be selfish acts of a greedy and sadistic man who wanted nothing more than to watch the world and everything good in it burn. Why else create monstrous demons to attack innocent villagers? Like you, I had never imagined it was in self-defense.

"As we spent more time together, I came to realize that the man I'd imagined all my life was not the man in front of me. The Zeref I know is powerful, no doubt, but kind and devoted to justice. He longs for peace and safety, especially for the mages who fight your war for you.

"King Fiore, this is Zeref's proposal: a treaty that will establish a new kingdom, built upon a region of Fiore, which will exist peacefully alongside this one. You will retain full sovereignty of the remaining land, and Zeref and I will jointly rule the new country, which will allow full rights and protections for mages, something you have adamantly denied them."

She gave him a hard look, one full of fire and determination.

"All we ask for is to be left alone with the lands we already hold. All violence will end, your people can sleep easy at night, parents can return home to their children. We all know that you cannot continue to fund this war much longer. It is exhausting the country's resources. Why die a sad, miserable death when you could flourish again?"

Her words hung in the air, both a tempting offer and a threat. The king glowered down at her silently from his perch before speaking.

"Peace runs both ways, Lady Heartfilia. How can I ensure that you will not attack us again when our guard is down?" he asked.

"Peace relies on trust, of which my husband has admittedly inspired little over the years. Your trust, King Fiore, lies with me and my judgment. I have long fought for mages, and I do so now. It is in my interest to see this war ended and peace between us all, and it is in that interest that I am here today. Zeref and I will serve as equal rulers of this new land. There will be no forces that he can order I cannot likewise influence."

"If you think Zeref will ever consider you an equal, my lady, you are mistaken!" the king said harshly.

Behind her, END's wings fluttered uneasily at the king's words, which rang true.

"I love Zeref," she said, her voice like a clear crystal pool. END shuddered at how convincing she sounded, as if she believed the words herself. "And so I trust him. I know I will never be his equal in power, and thus never able to guarantee that he will not betray me. But this treaty offers a chance at peace, a chance which is otherwise lost! King Fiore, hear me now. This is the best offer you will receive. Reject it, and you lead what remains of this country to ruins."

She glared, looking powerful wrapped up in Zeref's black and gold. The king said nothing.

"Take this contract and study it, but know you do not study it alone. Copies have been posted all over the kingdom, so that your people understand the choice you are making on their behalf. I encourage you to consider how the resolve of your mages will be affected, knowing you passed an opportunity for peace," she said ominously, standing so close to the king as she held out the document that she could see him tremble. "I will return tomorrow for your answer."

She spun on her heel and exited the room, END on her heels. They marched through the front gates where they'd landed. A curious crowd of people, mages and non-mages alike, had gathered. Their voices were angry and confused, shouting things like "traitor" and "demon whore", while others simply asked out "why?". Lucy wanted to stop and speak to them, but she knew this wasn't the time or place, and she would never be able to speak over that crowd.

Instead, she touched END's arm. He looked down at her, his angry expression softening as their eyes met.

"Let's go," she said quietly, her strength rapidly waning. He nodded and, taking her in his arms, flew off. Some of the people let out startled shouts and screams as he took flight, but he ignored them. He could smell the light scent of Lucy's tears gathering, and begged his wings to fly faster. When they were outside of the city, he descended into an area of dense forest, landing on a tree before gliding down the ground. He set Lucy down and she nearly collapsed, holding on to both his arm and rough tree trunk to stay standing.

"Luce?" he asked, his voice not even trying to mask his concern.

"I'm fine," she said with a sniffle. A few of the tears had leaked on to her face but she still hadn't given into them. "I've always been ridiculed, but never so openly…hated."

She took in a shuddering breath.

"They don't hate you," he said. "They fear you."

She looked up at him. "Just like you," she said, her voice full of a deep sadness, as if she were contemplating what it must have been like to be so feared and loathed for hundreds of years. He should be cold and cruel by now, not warm and caring. "How do you do it?"

Natsu looked up at her, his eyes full of something she couldn't define but that made her heart ache. "Do you really want to know?" he asked.

She nodded slowly, not sure she was telling the truth.

"I don't actually remember," he said strangely. "I think I hid inside myself, my body on a kind of auto-pilot. As I was ordered to do all those terrible things, I buried myself inside my mind. I locked "Natsu" away and became "END" instead. In a way, I've been asleep for four hundred years. It wasn't until I started talking to you that I started waking up."

It sounded absurd, but Lucy knew it had to be true. It explained how he could be so old, and yet still seem so youthful when they talked, like there weren't centuries between them.

"I can't do that, Natsu," she said, stepping closer to him and hugging onto his arm.

"You don't have to," he replied quietly. "You're not alone."

The silent forest was peaceful around them as their eyes scoured each other's. Without either realizing it, they leaned forward until their lips pressed against each other in a soft, chaste kiss. They broke a part, just a few inches before Lucy let out a soft gasp as she processed what she'd just done. Immediately she knew, she wanted to do it again.

More boldly than the first time, she pressed her lips against his, letting her arms reach up to wrap around his neck while his hands slid down to her curvy waist. They breathed against each other, their lips dancing with the passion that had been smoldering between them the whole time. How had they not done this earlier?

Natsu nipped lightly at her lip with his fang, careful not to cut her. She opened her mouth slightly and his tongue dove in, sweeping around her mouth and playing with her tongue. Light grunts passed between them, a kind of instinctual language that they both seemed to understand. Their hands began to roam, Natsu feeling her frustratingly clothed curves and Lucy winding her hands up into his hair and hooking her fingers around his horns. He hummed at the sensation of her scratching at his scalp while they continued to meld together.

They didn't know how long they stood there kissing each other like it was their last day on Earthland, but finally their need for oxygen broke them apart. They held onto each other, their bodies leaned against one another as they gulped in air. Lucy's corset felt immensely too tight as she panted, but Natsu's arms were enough to hold her upright.

As she started to calm down, she dragged her hands down from his scalp and neck and around his shoulders, making a teasing trail across his broad, hardened chest before slipping her hands around his waist. He wore an odd kind of shirt that was open in the back for his wings, and she let her fingers run up and down the ridges where the large, leathery appendages met his hot skin. Meanwhile, she leaned into him, letting her lips press against his neck, moving up and down to jaw and shoulder, leaving feathery kisses along his scales. Natsu purred against her, a kind of rumbling she doubted a human could imitate.

Natsu, for his part, squeezed her as tightly to him as he could without crushing the life out of her. He wondered how he had gone four hundred years without this beautiful woman, without being kissed like that. Even more, he wondered just what was wrong with her that she would dare to kiss something like him in the first place, much less touch those parts of him that did nothing but remind him how inhuman he was.

As she continued to lavish him in affection, he felt increasingly hot. He was a fire dragon demon, so of course he was always hot, but there was a heat inside of him that even _he_ found sweltering, and he knew it had everything to do with the woman in his arms. He wasn't sure if demons could love, if _he_ could love, but that flame inside of him was undeniable. He'd gone centuries without feeling a thing, and the sudden presence of so much emotion was both dizzying and daunting.

And yet, despite how much all of this scared him he couldn't help but feel safe in Lucy's arms. To the naked eye, he was the powerful one with his muscles and fire, but he knew that the girl holding him was the truly powerful one, protecting him from himself, helping separate the boy Natsu from the monster END. He felt that as long as he had her by his side, nothing – not even his brother – could stop him.

Lucy pulled her lips from his magically heated skin and leaned against his sturdy chest, appreciating the warmth that soaked even through his oddly-designed shirt. She felt like she was floating, her head spinning and her heart still racing, though now settling into a softer _thump thump thump_.

For a while neither of them said anything – nothing needed to be said. They could both feel the nearly tangible connection between them, like a blanket that swaddled them up together. They both knew they were supposed to be here together, like two halves of a whole whose power was only just awakening now that they were together. It seemed strange to think that they could have been strangers just a few weeks ago. How could they have ever been strangers?

Lucy sighed as her thoughts began to wander.

"Maybe I made a mistake, Natsu. Maybe I really am becoming the bad guy. I mean, all those horrible things that Zeref made you do…I want to believe that he's had a change of heart, or a change of intentions, at least, but…" she trailed off, her voice pained. "I just want to do the right thing."

"There's no such thing as 'the right thing', Luce," he said fiercely. "All you can do is the best that you can with what you know at the moment. If you didn't do this, the war would continue and Zeref would wipe Fiore off the map. I don't know what his plan is now, but your interference can't be worse than certain death. You truly love your people, even those who don't love you back. I don't know how that could be so wrong."

"But what if I was wrong? What if I just make everything worse?" she asked, frustrated by her confusion. She hated not being certain of anything.

Natsu pulled back slightly so that their eyes met, their arms still tight around each other.

"Then we'll just have to fix it," he said as if it were obvious. He moved one hand up to her cheek and she leaned into his clawed palm. He tilted her head upwards, his green gem-like eyes searching hers. He seemed so sure, so hopeful, and Lucy envied him.

"How can you be so relaxed about this?" she asked incredulously, and he smirked.

"Because I have you," he said shamelessly. "And there's no way a life with you in it could be worse than the past four hundred years."

Lucy was speechless, but she felt her cheeks heating up at his confession. He had a point, though. When you're at rock bottom, there's only one direction you can go.

"Ready for our second stop of the day?" he asked, his voice low and relaxing.

 _Ah, yes. The second stop_ , Lucy remembered. "As ready as ever," she muttered, unwilling to end their time alone together. But she knew she had other things to do.

"Alright, then. Hold on," he said as he held her firmly and pushed off from the ground with considerable force. Lucy squeaked slightly at the sudden pressure, but wasn't afraid – she knew instinctively that Natsu would never hurt her. "Magnolia, here we come."

 _Magnolia,_ she thought nervously. _Home of the mages._


	8. Ch 7: Talking to Mages

**Hey there! I hope you're having a great start to the year!**

 **I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed so far! It's super encouraging and definitely inspires me to write faster (or, at the very least, more often). Y'all better be careful, though, because I can feel my ego swelling to a dangerous (and quite undeserved) degree. XD**

 **Anyway, as always, leave a review and tell me what you think!**

 **xoxo**

* * *

Lucy had always wanted to visit Magnolia, but she had rarely been permitted to leave the confines of Crocus, and even on the rare occasion that they did venture away from the city for vacation, they always went to some high class resort where they were sure to be surrounded by the same stuffy nobles she had to put up with at home. Magnolia, on the other hand, was known as the home of the mages, a breeding ground for mage guilds and magic vendors alike. Simply put, it was no place for a lady and exactly where she wanted to be.

The city wasn't particularly large, but is was lively nonetheless. The whole place possessed a bright gleam that almost seemed defiant when one considered just how difficult Fiore had made life for its magical citizens, but they seemed undeterred in their quest for happiness. Of course, this impression of the city is only what Lucy could gather for afar, before the mages caught sight of her and her demonic companion. After that, the aura of the whole city seemed to change drastically.

Natsu flew straight toward what looked like a town square, where various vendors had set up little outdoor stands and mages wandered around peacefully. They landed in a whirl of wings and black silk, and it wasn't long before they were completely surrounded by mages with varying degrees of fear and hatred etched on their faces.

Lucy stood straight, emptying her mind as best she could of all nervousness. Natsu was reluctant to let go of her completely, wanting to keep his hand wrapped around her waist, but he knew he couldn't do that. She was here as Zeref's wife, not his.

Lucy surveyed the crowd, taking measure of the defensive stances directed right at her. Eyes of simultaneously curious and concerned mages sent silent messages to each other, as if they were trying to decide on a battle plan. The only thing Lucy could tell for sure was that her presence there came as a massive surprise. Before the crowd could make up its mind on whether or not to attack, she launched into speech, hoping that their shock would last long enough for her to start a dialogue.

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia," she began, her voice not nearly as strong and certain as it had been before the king. With him, she was able to pull from her very real feelings of disdain to mask her uncertainty, but these mages were something else. She respected these people, and – unlike that pompous royal asshole – their opinion was important to her. "I am here on behalf of my husband, Zeref, to offer a treaty."

"And what makes you think we're interested in hearing anything from that monster, _Lady Heartfilia?_ " a voice from the crowd asked.

She turned her head to see a surly black haired man walk forward. He was shirtless, his dark guild emblem stamped on his ripped chest, and his face had a scowl that Lucy thought he probably had even when he wasn't glaring directly at demons. Privately, she applauded his bravery, but didn't miss the hoard of mages behind him sporting the same sigil: _Fairy Tail._

Naturally, Lucy recognized them immediately. When she was younger and more apt to day-dream, she had hoped to one day join the notorious guild, known as the strongest (and most reckless) in the kingdom. As she'd grown, though, she realized she would never fit amongst them. Her magical power was less than impressive and they were destined to see her as nothing more than a pampered princess, so she'd decided to stick to working for mages in the realm of the nobles rather than as one of them. However, as she saw the group of nakama standing together now with their arms crossed and eyes narrowed, she felt jealous of that sense of community and belonging that was so strong it eradicated the fear they should have felt when standing only feet away from the black mage's most powerful demon.

Lucy took a shaky step forward, but resolved her heart. She could question whether or not she was doing the right thing on her own time, but now was the time to be more decisive. She took a deep breath.

"Because that monster is offering a way to end the war and establish peace," Lucy said, meeting the testy man's gaze head on.

The young man was about to retort with something the blonde assumed would have been appropriately offensive, but he was cut off by a small older man with a bushy mustache. Despite his almost laughable size, he seemed to command the respect of all those present, and Lucy could only assume he was the famed guild master: Makarov.

"Lady Heartfilia has always been a champion for the mages," he said not particularly loudly, though his words seemed to echo through the plaza. "We at least owe her the respect of hearing out her proposal. Though I must say, my lady, the presence of this demon makes it difficult for my children to listen well."

He gave Lucy a hard look and after a moment she nodded.

"Go, Natsu. I'll be fine on my own," she said, looking back at the fire demon.

"But Luce—" he began and she held up her hand stopping him. His green eyes met hers, worry infused in every scale on his face. She knew it was harsh, sending him away like this especially after what had just happened in the woods, but this mission was more important than any of their individual feelings.

He shut his mouth tightly, casting a last glance around for any immediate threats (of which there were many) and nodded reluctantly. Handing her the bag with copies of the treaty inside, he pushed off the ground harshly, launching into the air and soaring away.

The mages watched this interaction curiously. Half of them were surprised the demon possessed the capability to speak at all while the other half were distracted by the familiar exchange of names and his immediate compliance to her word. Many had seen the demon on the battlefield before and knew that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Lucy took in a few deep breaths as she watched Natsu leave, her heart begging for him to come back. As she turned back to the guild master, her cool façade crumbled and her nervousness was on full display. Luckily, it seemed that despite her reputation as a coddled noble, she had gained enough respect from the mages that they did not pounce on her immediately. Or perhaps it was just the respect they had for their master that kept them at bay…

"Now, my lady—" the guild master began, but Lucy interrupted.

"Please, call me Lucy," she said. This had been a suggestions of Zeref's, to endear her more personally to the mages whose hearts they would require to persuade the king. However, she only remembered that Zeref had told her to say that after she already said it; something about these people made her title feel like a burden rather than an honorific.

"Lucy," Makarov corrected, ignoring the scattered derisive snorts behind him. "I'm sure we're all very curious as to what would bring someone like yourself to Magnolia, and in the company of such an infamous demon at that."

Lucy smiled slightly as she reached up and undid her tight updo, which was beginning to give her a headache. She shook out her golden tresses, letting them fall around her shoulders before she spoke.

This was the easy part, the part that Zeref had trained her for. She recited a similar speech to the one the king had received, though this one was better tailored for the mages themselves rather than the borderline-condescending lecture from earlier. This was more emotional, dwelling longer on her invented relationship with Zeref than the one she'd provided the king. The story was a well crafted one. Lucy had always had an interest in writing, so it hadn't been hard to invent a love story for her and the black mage.

"First, I should explain how it is I came to be married to the most hated mage of all time," she said with a smile that could melt ice. She had mastered that far-away in-love look that now graced her dark, warm eyes. The other people in the square were so silent that if Lucy had shut her eyes she could have pretended she were alone.

"I grew up alone on my father's estate. My mother died when I was young, and my father was always too busy to bother with me except on the occasions he wished for me to meet some noble suitor, most of whom were around his age. I admit, I had fanciful ideas of love growing up, but they had been extinguished long ago. So when I say that I fell in love with Zeref, know that it was not something I was inclined to do," she said.

"When I met Zeref for the first time, I didn't recognize him. He was in my garden in the middle of the night and all I could see of him was his pale skin which seemed to glow in the moonlight. I asked who he was and he just smiled, saying that our estate had the best view of the stars in the kingdom. We spoke for a long time about the stars and I told him all about the constellations and their stories, like my mother had told me. Then as dawn began to creep over the horizon, he left, never telling me his name."

The mages listened, hanging onto her every word as her story unfolded.

"He came back the next night, and I went out to meet him again. I don't remember what we talked about, but I remember that talking to him was so easy. He was smart and kind and interesting. I was curious about him, but he never answered my questions, which only made me even more desperate to know who he was. But again at dawn he left," she said.

"This went on for weeks. Each night we'd meet in my garden and each night I would fall further and further in love with this mystery man, until one night I demanded he tell me his name. When he finally told me, I admit almost laughed. There was no way that the man I'd been talking to was Zeref Dragneel, the root of all of humanity's problems, the most evil mage to ever exist. It made no sense. Zeref was a monster and the man I met in my garden was anything but. It wasn't until he took me to his demons that I finally believed him."

The crowd was somber and silent as they watched her perform her story for them. Some of the faces showed acute distrust for her words, though most of them were too enraptured by her tale to question it just yet.

"After that I refused to see him. I've spent all of my short life devoted to fighting on the behalf of mages, and here I was falling in love with the man who was killing them in the first place. Zeref, however, refused to let me go so easily. He came to me one night and begged me to hear him out, much as I do to you now. So I listened.

"He told me about his life, his power, and the war. He told me how the war had begun, as he tried to defend himself against a greedy king who sought to use his power for his own imperial conquests. He told me how he cursed himself with immortality attempting to defend himself and his brother, and how he was tired of war and death, especially the death of mages like him who already lead such difficult lives."

There was a light murmur across the crowd at his point, but it hushed as Lucy pressed on.

"Then he told me the most shocking thing of all," she said. "He told me that he no longer cared about any of it. He had fallen in love with me, much as I had with him, and nothing else seemed to matter anymore, not if he couldn't have me by his side."

Lucy let a sad smile grace her face and she heard some of the crowd members sigh wistfully.

"As romantic as it was, I refused him. There was too much evil in his past for me to love him, and my love for my people, for all of you, was worth more than a single man ever could be. He left, and I didn't see him for weeks.

"Then one night he appeared to me again, this time with a proposal. He offered to work to end the war, and to establish a new kingdom alongside this one that would ensure full rights and protections for the mages I cared so much about. To be honest, it was the kind of proposal I'd have been tempted by even if I weren't in love with him. I spent a week carefully reviewing and considering the treaty he offered before I accepted."

Makarov spoke up at this point. "And what precisely does this treaty entail?" he asked.

Lucy reached into the bag Natsu had left with her and pulled out a stack of papers, each with the treaty printed clearly. She passed these around to the mages to read.

"You can read the whole thing for yourself. Zeref and I wish to establish our own kingdom upon the lands he already holds, which is admittedly not much. We would respect mutual cease of arms with Fiore and rule justly with our own laws which are designed to better accommodate the needs and rights of mages like yourself.

"This war has gone on too long, longer than Fiore can maintain. As the men and women of the frontline, you should know more than anyone that this fight can't be kept alive much longer," Lucy said.

"Is that a threat?" the shirtless mage asked, but he was quickly reprimanded by Makarov with a curt _"Gray!"_.

Lucy frowned. "It is a fact. I love my husband, but my loyalties lie first and foremost with all of you as they always have. The king is content to let you die for him, but I'm not. If he will not stop fighting, Zeref will have no choice but to defend himself as he has in the past. Without peace, there is only more destruction and heartache, of which we have all had more than enough."

She stood a hundred feet tall and blazed like a thousand suns.

"You are more powerful than you know. Refuse to fight this king's war and you will have a place in our new kingdom, a place of respect and dignity. Help us end this war, and you will have peace."

* * *

Natsu scratched irritably at a tree, his claws gouging into its rough bark as he grit his teeth. He hated not being there with her, but he knew it was for the best. She was his brother's wife, even if that marriage was a sham, and she had appearances to keep up. Even more, he could hardly blame the mages for not wanting him there – he had killed many a mage in his day, even if the memories were fuzzy, like a bad dream he couldn't fully recall.

Still, he didn't like being without her one bit. He was hidden in the shade of the forest just on the outside of town. If he couldn't see her then he was pleased that at the very least he could still hear her. As she spoke the crowd was so silent, almost reverent, that he could hear her every word as if she spoke to him directly. While her story unfolded, he found himself almost wishing he couldn't hear it at all. He knew it was a lie, but it still hurt, the thought of her truly loving his brother like that, even in fiction. It certainly made more sense than her falling for the grotesque demon. Zeref was intelligent and handsome, and he knew how to be charming when he wanted to be. Natsu had never had the luxury of being charming. He had been changed when he was young, and had been scaring humanity ever since.

Before he had often wished that his brother had never changed him, that he had just left him dead. Death couldn't be worse than this torture. Everything about him – body, mind, and spirit – was corrupted, evil, monstrous. He had taken more from this world than he could ever hope to give back, and he resented himself for it. Perhaps he just wasn't strong enough and that's why he was unable to refuse his brother's orders. Or perhaps a dark part of himself actually enjoyed it….

He growled slightly. He couldn't believe that. He hated this existence more than anything. The only saving grace in his centuries locked in his scaled prison was that through all of that he had found Lucy.

He closed his eyes and listened to her voice as she spoke nearly half a mile away. She sounded much different now than she had a few hours ago. He hadn't liked her voice earlier – it wasn't right. Lucy was supposed to sound sweet and sincere and Lucy-ish, not like his brother, cold and demanding. He smiled slightly to hear her sound like Lucy again, though he frowned at her words.

If he wasn't so annoyed by her words he would have laughed. The idea that his brother could ever be so romantic was simply ridiculous, and it was clear that they were using the fact that nobody really knew what Zeref was like to help sell the story. It was a good thing that his brother kept such a low profile, because otherwise the lie would have been blazingly obvious.

As Lucy's story came to an end, Natsu could sense a shift in the crowd. They were curious, and as they hadn't decided to mob against her, the demon decided to let them ask their questions. It seemed that they weren't half as dumb as Natsu had thought they were, and they were quick to ask some questions that threatened to cut right through her tale. She handled it well, though, answering the questions with the kind of sweet patience and honest tone that was Lucy. Or at least, that was polite-Lucy. Natsu prided himself on having broken through that polite barrier, and getting to know the fiery, impatient, whirlwind of a woman underneath.

She spoke for what seemed like an eternity. The sun began to set over the horizon until all that was left in the sky were varying shades of dark blues and purples. The street lamps turned on and many of the mages whose curiosity had been sated began to wander back to their homes and guild halls. Natsu paced anxiously, waiting for a signal to come get her. He could barely wait to wrap her up in his arms, and he wanted to taste her lips again. Finally he heard her say - no louder than she had before - his name.

An obnoxious grin spread across his face at the call and he shot into the sky eagerly, swooping down to where she stood. When he caught sight of her he immediately noticed how weary she looked. It had been a long, taxing day for both of them, but at least he hadn't had to talk to anyone. He felt his body heat up at he small, genuine smile she gave him.

"Let's go," she said quietly. She gave a parting nod to the few mages that remained, who nodded in return. She wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and leaned against his chest, giving in to his strength which he was happy to supply. He carefully took her in his own arms and lifted off.

They flew through the clear twilight, soaring high above the land spotted with towns full of people who just wanted to live their lives. Lucy smiled gently as she thought of them, finishing up their work for the day, preparing to sit down together for a meal, maybe talk about this or that and laugh. That's what they cared about – families, home, love, not the conquests of the greedy and powerful.

Then again, maybe she painted them a bit too idyllic. They weren't any different from those who fought for power except that they didn't have any to fight for. And the wars that raged on didn't leave them alone just because they didn't want to get involved. That was the problem with war – it didn't care if you were innocent.

"Natsu?" she said softly, knowing he would hear her over the rushing of the wind.

"Hm?" he hummed, his chest reverberating with the sound.

"I don't want to go back to that stupid cube," she said, pulling a short laugh from the demon.

"Then where do you want to go?" he asked, bending his face down to her ear so she could hear him without shouting.

"Nowhere," she said.

Somehow, Natsu understood what she meant, and he shifted his course to fly towards a smattering of trees and bulging rock in the distance. It only took a few minutes for him to land at the foot of a low, abandoned mountain. It was nothing impressive, but it had a cave system that would happily harbor them for the night.

He set Lucy down and held onto her while her legs regained feeling. When at last she was steady, he reluctantly let go, not wanting to crowd her too much, but she didn't seem to want the space as she moved back towards him, leaning against his chest. He stroked her hair which only his enhanced vision could see in the darkness. He knew that at the moment she was practically blind, and his heart swelled to know that she trusted him enough to be comfortable even without something as basic and comforting as vision.

"Stay right here, I'm going to gather some firewood really quickly," he said, guiding her to a large, smooth boulder to sit. He could hear her huff grumpily, but it just made him smile as he set off into the woods.

It took only a matter of minutes for him to collect enough wood for a fire, and being a fire demon, it took mere seconds to light it when he returned. Lucy seemed to appreciate the glowing flames greatly as she scooted towards them, drinking in their warmth. Natsu made sure she was safe before he headed back into the woods to hunt something down to eat.

He had stayed here a few times before, but it had been centuries since he'd last seen the narrow cave. Igneel had brought him here. It was their favorite stopping place when they would travel between the fire dragon's nest in the east and the metal dragon's nest in the west. Natsu's chest tightened at he walked through the familiar trees and brush. Igneel's death was the last clear memory he had before Lucy. That had been the last proverbial straw for him, the last bit of pain his mind could handle.

He felt a sudden wetness on his cheek and reached a clawed hand up to find a tear that had slipped out. He couldn't remember the last time he'd cried, the last time he'd allowed himself to feel anything at all.

He smiled lightly, wondering just what that blonde mage was doing to him.


	9. Ch 8: A Beautiful Dawn

**Howdy, y'all! Happy Imbolc!  
** **I'm not perfectly happy with the way this chapter was written, to be honest, but I wanted to go ahead and get it out. Hopefully the next one will be better.**

 **Also, I wanted to know: are there any words that I use too often? I feel like my writing is a bit repetitive, which is definitely not something I want. If you have any thoughts on this, please leave a review for me! Constructive criticism is always a good thing and I'm always striving to get better. :)**

* * *

Lucy woke up to to cool morning light surrounded by the most amazing warmth. Instantly she noted the weight slung over her waist and pressed against her back, as well as the heat beneath her cheek. She cracked her eyes open to see her favorite demon snoozing the morning away without a care. One wing was laid out underneath them like a blanket while the other wrapped them in a leathery cocoon. She wondered if it hurt him to have her weight pinning his wing down like that, but he didn't seem to notice it, even as she shifted against him to escape a bit of his overbearing heat.

She wiggled out of his grasp, stepping out of the warm nest that was Natsu and instantly regretted it. The cave was chilly in the morning and she blushed as she realized she was dressed only in her slip. Her corseted dress had been far too uncomfortable to sleep in, but now she picked up the abandoned black silk and redonned it before stepping out of the cave.

Light filtered between he leaves of giant trees to fill forest floor with an ambient glow. Some moths were flying off to find shelter as the sun came around and a few deer grazed innocently on some bushes. She'd never seen anything like it, which honestly didn't mean too much. She hadn't seen a lot of things.

"It's pretty isn't it?" a voice said from behind her and she squeaked in surprise. Natsu chuckled at her before walking over and wrapping his arms around her, pressing her back into his chest. Lucy didn't mind in the least bit, and not just because she was a little cold.

"It's beautiful," she agreed.

"Igneel used to bring me here," Natsu confessed. "When we traveled between nests. A dragon can't really check into an inn, after all."

"Igneel was the fire dragon king," Lucy said, but it was almost like a question rather than a statement.

"Yeah. My dad," Natsu said sadly. "Not my biological dad, obviously, but I don't even remember my human father. Igneel was who raised me, until Zeref came for me."

Lucy didn't know what to say, so she said nothing, instead opting to place her hands on his arms that were wrapped around her.

"Anyway, I haven't been here in centuries. I'm glad to see it looks just the same," he said.

Then he let his arms drop and walked back towards the dying fire. He added some wood and blew more flames on it. Lucy watched in awe as he manipulated the fire with such ease. He looked up to see her watching him and blushed slightly.

"I, um, should probably go get us something to eat," he said, standing awkwardly.

"Thank you," Lucy said earnestly, earning a surprised look from the demon.

"Hunting's not hard for me," Natsu said, ruffling his hair nervously with a clawed hand.

"No," she said, moving towards him and taking his hand. "Thank you for bringing me here. To your and Igneel's place. It means a lot," she said.

Natsu gave her a small smile, his eyes deeply appreciative. He nodded and then headed out into the morning to hunt.

Lucy walked back to the fire and sat down, staring deep into the flames as if they would tell her something if she stared hard enough. Her life was changing faster than she could keep up with. She had just married Zeref, a man she barely knew, and now she was falling quickly in love with his demon brother, another man she barely knew, even if it felt like they'd known each other their whole lives.

She sighed heavily. Somewhere deep inside she wondered if she was making another mistake. Maybe Natsu was under orders from Zeref just to mess with her, or maybe he was tricking her out of his own free will. Even more terrifying was the thought that he wasn't trying to trick her at all. Maybe this was real, and she was destined to live her whole life in love with her brother-in-law. Not that she thought Zeref would particularly mind. It was clear the dark mage didn't have a romantic bone in his body and his only interest in her was the influence she had with Fiore's mages. But having to hide her love from the world sounded so lonely.

Furthermore, even if everything aligned and they could be together freely, there was still the issue of Natsu's lifespan – or rather the issue of hers. Assuming good health and luck she had sixty or seventy years left on this planet, while Natsu would be here for centuries more at least, never aging. What happened ten, twenty, thirty years down the line when she began to look like his mother… _his grandmother._

She shuddered at the thought. Maybe love was blind, but Natsu certainly was not. She would feel so ashamed of her age, being withered and beaten by the years. It was a problem that would arise in her marriage to Zeref as well, and while she had boldly proclaimed to the mages that they would accept her changing age with grace, she wasn't sure the reality of her and the demon could be so gracious.

Of course, she was getting ahead of herself with all these thoughts of the future and love when she wasn't even sure where they stood. Clearly they were attracted to each other, and they were marvelous friends – or at least she thought, having never had any friends to compare against – but there was no guarantee that they would last. Perhaps they would naturally tire of each other or something would get between them. After all, this was only day one. Maybe this wasn't even love, just a confused lust brought on by the strange severity of their circumstances.

Maybe they were both lying to themselves.

She stood up and paced around, ill-content to sit and feel useless. It was definitely too soon to be prattling on about love. But as she looked around the cave, she felt that maybe it wasn't too soon. After all, he'd brought _here_ , a special spot he'd come with his father years ago. Surely he wouldn't bring just anyone here…

"Aaaaaghhh," she yelled out in frustration.

"Luce? You okay?"

She spun to see Natsu standing in the mouth of the cave, a dead (and thankfully already skinned) creature in his hand.

She laughed lightly to herself, feeling a bit like a maniac as he looked on confused.

"I'm fine," she said.

He walked into the cave tentatively, placing the carcass over the fire to cook.

"That didn't sound 'fine'," he said, giving Lucy a look that begged for her to open up to him. With his big green eyes trained on her, it only took a few moments for her to break.

 _The truth will set you free._ Her mother used to tell her that, especially when she knew Lucy was hiding something from her. The blonde smiled at the thought.

"I was thinking about…us," she said honestly.

Natsu's eyes widened for a moment before he turned to look in the fire, a serious look on his face, as if he'd been dreading this conversation himself.

"Oh," he said. He continued to watch the flames and cooking meat in silence before finally speaking again. "And what do you think about…us?"

Lucy smiled as she watched the poor boy look so nervous, as if he were afraid he was about to lose something precious.

"I think…" she began.

What did she think? She knew she had fears galore, worries and concerns and that she questioned how everyone else felt, but how did _she_ feel?

"I think…I like it," she said.

Natsu's head snapped towards her so fast she thought his neck would break.

"Me too," he said, a timid smile spreading across his lips and relief touching his eyes.

"But I don't know where it will go," Lucy said. "Legally I'm married to Zeref, and you're a demon, which I don't mind but you'll live so much longer than me, and we'll have to hide and what if Zeref tries to do something and—"

"Lucy," Natsu interrupted, moving over towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Breathe," he instructed.

Lucy took a deep breath, lifting his heavy hands up and down with the motion.

"I've spent centuries burning the world down and for the first time in all those years I finally have the chance to build something, with you. That has to mean something. As long as you want me by your side, I will be there."

Lucy's mouth fell open slightly at his unashamed declaration that made her heart pound.

"You do want me, right?" he asked shyly, as if he actually thought she might say no.

"I do," she breathed, smiling gleefully before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply.

She felt the demon smile against her lips as they kissed. His lips were hot and rough and delicious, and his fangs played dangerously around her own softer mouth. He wrapped his arms around her, followed by his wings that nestled them in a private world. A part of Lucy worried she might set alight as his hot skin pressed against hers, much hotter than was natural, but it never even hurt her.

As they embraced, the only thing they both knew was that their world was about to go up in flame – whether that was a good or bad thing was the question.

* * *

Lucy sat stiffly in Zeref's room while Natsu begrudgingly waited outside. She watched as the dark mage took a sip of wine, lounging back in his chair cockily. As he'd expected, when Lucy returned to the capitol the next day the king was ready to accept her offer – apparently he was smarter than she gave him credit for. In two weeks, she and Zeref were to make their first public appearance together as husband and wife and finalize the treaty. In the meantime, a cease fire had been called which – Lucy was relieved to hear – had so far been honored by both sides.

"You did very well," he praised in his lilting tone. He always spoke like he knew something you didn't – likely because he did. It drove Lucy crazy.

"It all happened just as you had predicted. I must say I am quite impressed," she said.

"People are not nearly as unpredictable as they like to think," he said, giving her a look that implied they weren't just talking about the king and the treaty.

She blushed lightly.

"I don't mind it – you and Natsu. Of course, your discretion is necessary, but believe it or not, Lady Heartfilia, I do wish for you to be happy here. It will be much easier to sell our relationship if you don't feel like a prisoner. So long as the two of you stay out of the public eye, I can think of no reason why you should not 'follow your heart's desire' or whatever it is you love-struck fools do."

Lucy's eyes widened in shock and slight embarrassment.

"Um…thank you," she said stupidly, unsure of what else to say in such a situation. Her husband was giving her permission to cheat on him with his brother – her tutors hadn't exactly covered the proper decorum for such a circumstance.

Zeref waved off her thanks.

"Think nothing of it. It's a much preferable situation to you foolishly falling in love with _me_. As I said, my priority is that everything go according to plan. That will mean good behavior from both of you."

She ignored the slight sting of his insult and nodded her consent.

"Good," he said. "Then you're free to go. Send Natsu in for a quick work on your way out."

Lucy turned to go, glad to leave the black mage's presence. He wasn't particularly cruel or anything, but he was quite intimidating. His dark eyes always seemed to look right through her, as if she were naked in front of him.

As she left, Zeref couldn't help the smug smirk on his face, which he'd been repressing since he'd first seen his brother return with his wife. They thought they were discrete, but anyone with two eyes could see the way they stood so close and their own gazes kept meeting with secretive smiles and light blushes. After four hundred years of being right about everything he had expected the satisfaction to wear off, but it never did. The best part was that he knew his brother saw the trap he'd laid out – Natsu saw the danger and fell for it anyway.

 _Fool._

All the better for him, though. Fools were so much easier to control, and Zeref needed to control Natsu. He had felt his brother's resistance to him growing over the past century, little attempts to defy orders here and there. As his most powerful demon, Natsu was an asset the black mage couldn't afford to lose or – even worse – have against him. When Zeref had sent Natsu to stay with the dragons, he'd never imagined he would become as powerful as he had, more powerful than himself even.

Not that the fool knew it, of course. Zeref had painstakingly worked to make his brother think he could never win against him. Of course, while his magic over him held he was still stronger, but as soon as that bond broke Zeref would be in danger of losing everything he'd worked for.

Luckily, his brother was a fool. He'd only intended to use the Heartfilia girl to win over the Fiorean mages, but now she was so much more. She was insurance, in case Natsu thought he could defy him. Everyone had a weakness, Natsu was just stupid enough to pick one that Zeref controlled.

A knock on the door drew Zeref's attention.

"Come in," he said, not bothering to raise his voice at all knowing the demon on the other side could hear him just fine.

"You wanted me?" Natsu asked, a scowl plastered on his face. A century ago Natsu would have never scowled at him, and soon he wouldn't dare to again.

"I trust there were no incidents," he said casually, and Natsu's frown deepened.

"I know you already got a report from the others," Natsu said, his tone testing Zeref's patience. "What do you really want?"

Zeref smirked slightly. "I just wanted to offer my congratulations to you little lovebirds."

Natsu tensed up visibly, his green eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry," Zeref said, doing nothing to reassure the wary demon. "As I just told Lucy, I do not mind, so long as you both act nicely."

He paused, waiting to see if Natsu would say anything, but when he didn't, the black mage continued.

"I wonder, do you love her?" Zeref asked, his tone light and almost teasing.

"What would _you_ know about love?" Natsu spat, and the dark mage took that as a yes.

"Admittedly, not much," he said indifferently. "Though I must say I find the emotion quite curious. People often do such stupid things under the guise of 'love'. I only hope you won't be so ignorant. She may be your whore, Natsu, but she will never be your wife."

"Lucy is not a—," Natsu began, but he broke off, reigning in his temper.

"Hm," Zeref smirked at his brother's outburst. "I only mean to remind you of your positions. I would hate for something bad to happen because of your carelessness."

It was a thinly veiled threat at best, and Zeref could see his brother tremble slightly, clearly considering all the awful things the dark mage could and would do to the heiress if he didn't obey. Zeref stayed silent and gave his brother a hard look, forcing the demon to reply.

"That will not happen," Natsu said, a slight growl in his voice.

Zeref smiled, and Natsu recoiled slightly at the sight.

"That's all I wanted to hear, brother," he said happily. "Oh, and please don't get her pregnant. I'd have a hell of a time coming up with an excuse for why my children all have pink hair and scales."

Natsu could feel a growl building inside of him, but quieted it down, not wanting to incur his brother's wrath. He knew very well that now that he had Lucy he was even more under his brother's thumb than usual, and he wasn't ready to push boundaries over a few insults.

"Now, already some troublesome mages have decided to form a resistance movement up in the northern mountains. Word is that they are staging a protest of sorts for the day of the signing, which is obviously unacceptable. I need you to kill them all and get rid of the bodies. As you know, a cease fire has already been implemented and it would be quite unfortunate if those idiots were to think we were in violation of it, so try to be discrete about it. Leave no survivors."

Natsu bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes darkening significantly. He'd done this so many times for his brother, killing people for whatever reasons the black mage thought necessary, but it had never hurt as much as it did now. He suddenly remembered why he had buried his humanity. How was he supposed to go about murdering innocent people now that he was beginning to feel like a person again?

Dark eyes and golden hair flashed in his mind.

That's how. Because if he protests at all, Zeref might hurt Lucy. And maybe he really was a monster, because he would rather watch the whole world burn than watch Lucy get hurt.

"She can't know," he said quietly.

He knew that this would just give his brother even more power over him, but while Lucy knew about the horrors of his past, he couldn't stand to imagine her face if she found out the past weren't behind him at all. Besides, her knowing about it wouldn't help stop it. It would only add to the pain.

Zeref smiled again – never a good sign for anybody. "Of course," he said. "It shouldn't take you more than a few hours, so best get on with it."

For a moment Natsu thought he might cry out of pure pity for himself, but he didn't. Instead he sunk his mind back the way he always had, letting all feeling wash away. It didn't work nearly as well as it had before Lucy, but it helped a bit. He walked over to the balcony and launched himself off it, headed towards the north.

* * *

Lucy flew out of bed and towards the door when she heard a light rapping on it. She opened it up to reveal Natsu and a smile instantly worked its way across her face. He'd disappeared a few hours ago right after they'd arrived and she was surprised how bored she was without him. She'd tried reading, but every few paragraphs her thoughts wandered to the demon, wondering where he was and what he was doing. She couldn't believe how much she had come to rely on him in such a short period of time.

He looked exhausted, his eyes a bit wary, but he had a small smile all the same.

"You're back!" she said happily, quickly pressing herself against him in a hug which he gently returned.

"Yeah, Zeref just had a few errands for me to run. Nothing too exciting," he said, his voice slightly more tense than normal but Lucy brushed it off as her imagination.

She grabbed his clawed hand and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind him. As soon as it shut, she pressed her lips against his in a fiery kiss which he returned, gently at first but then with growing passion. He walked her back towards the bed, never breaking the kiss, and laid her back so that he was straddled over her, their lips still locked in their infernal dance. He kissed her as a drowning man gasps for air, as if his very soul had been suffocated.

Lucy's hands wound around his neck, pulling him close against her. Her nails scratched at his hair and at the base of his horns, a spot she'd found he particularly liked. He purred against her and nipped at her lip with a fang before licking along it until she opened her mouth and he dove in.

They kissed for what felt like hours – and indeed might have been – their bodies hot and desperate against each other. They pressed together, grinding lustily, but neither one was ready to go any further. They were both new to the world of love – both emotionally and physically – and wanted to go slowly, each afraid they might mess something up.

Finally when they were both exhausted they simply held each other. Lucy fell asleep quickly, worn out by the week and comfortable in Natsu's warm embrace. As he heard her heartbeat slow and her breathing steady out, the demon held her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever touched. Because she was. She felt so small and fragile in his arms, but he knew she was strong of spirit – stronger than him.

What was all of his power worth if he couldn't even decide how to use it?

His mind flashed to that afternoon. The screams. The blood. The acrid smell of burning flesh and cries for mercy. He let out a shaky breath and buried his head in her hair, silently letting out the tears that had been threatening to fall since Zeref had given his order. He shook slightly as he cried, and for a moment he was afraid he'd woken Lucy up, but she just shifted herself against him, cuddling deeper into his chest.

He felt sick as he thought about touching her with his bloodstained hands. Inside he knew she deserved so much more than the monster she got, the hideous, murderous creature that he was. She deserved a knight in shining armor, a hero of ages that would sweep her off her feet and treat her like a goddess. But Natsu was selfish, and despite what she deserved, he needed her. So he would follow Zeref's orders, slaying the innocent and enforcing his brother's cruelty, and then at night he would return to her and try to forget everything.

 _Will we ever be free?_

He took another shaky breath, tears streaming down his face as he let himself sink into a tortured and troubled sleep.


	10. Ch 9: The House in the Woods

As the signing ceremony approached, Lucy's days fell into a pattern reminiscent of those before she'd met with the king the first time. She and Zeref would spend much of the day rehearsing while Natsu would be off doing whatever it was his brother told him to do, though Lucy wasn't ever quite sure what that was. When they were finally able to be together at night, Natsu was never very willing to discuss what he'd been doing all day. Neither of them was very willing to discuss Zeref at all, choosing instead to spend a few hours pretending the black mage didn't exist.

Of course, the rehearsals were much different this time around. Instead of practicing how to act like a powerful queen, the odd couple had to practice how to sell their unlikely relationship to the people. Zeref was a good enough actor on his part, but clearly had little idea of how a loving, married couple should act. Lucy was constantly having to coach him to look at her every few moments as if he wanted to, stand a little bit closer, or call her 'Lucy' instead of 'Lady Heartfilia'. In her desperation, she'd even reached into the recesses of her book collection and picked a few romances to force the black mage to read in the hopes he would learn something.

"You don't need to be gushy," Lucy said with just a hint of frustration. "Not all couples are like that. But you should seem like you care for me, like you want to protect me."

"Protect you from what? I'm the most powerful mage alive," Zeref said, and Lucy resisted the urge to smash her head against the wall.

"Protect me from any kind of unseen threats, from the cruelty of the world! Didn't you read those books I gave you?"

"I glanced through them, but they were quite dull," Zeref drawled.

"The man who spends his spare time drawing up peace treaties thinks my romance novels were dull." The blonde just shook her head in disbelief. "You're truly a mystery, Zeref."

"As you are to me, _Lucy_ ," he said, pointedly using her name and she rolled her eyes.

"At least you got that one down," she muttered, though something about the way he said her name made her feel strange and on edge.

"If I remember correctly, convincing the people of our relationship is _your_ job anyway," Zeref said, his black eyes on her. Those eyes still made her want to hide in fear, but through all their time together she had somehow learned to withstand the temptation.

"Yes, but I need you to corroborate my story. The people will trust what they see more than what they hear," she said.

"That's for sure," he scoffed. "I can't believe that story you made up about me. I have half a mind to sue you for libel."

"It makes you look sensitive," she argued.

"You mean pathetic. As if someone like me would be so senselessly enchanted by a simple girl, no offense," he said.

"None taken," she said honestly. Indeed, had the mage truly shown a romantic interest in her, she'd have been at a loss to explain why. A four hundred year old man falling in love with a young woman at first sight was a story so odd, she was amazed the people of Fiore believed it at all. The best she could explain was that they wanted to believe in true love and in the mage's inherent goodness more than they wanted to believe in logic and truth.

"Now again," Zeref moaned languorously. "When we walk up to the palace, you will be by my side as an equal."

Lucy didn't miss how he shuddered slightly at the thought, but found it more amusing than insulting.

"As with last time, there will be no bowing. I will give a small speech about the value of mages and the land I wish to create. Then I will read through the terms of the treaty again and ensure that Fiore agrees to all of them while you stand supportively by my side. We will all sign the documents, you will give in inspirational speech about the value of equality, blah blah blah, and then we will walk out to greet the people before leaving.

"My demons will be with us the whole time as guard, but you, Lucy, are the real protection. If I have to unleash my demons for our protection then this treaty will be for naught. The image of them attacking the citizens will be enough to allow doubt to win over and everything to fail. So, instead, we have to make it so that they don't _want_ to attack us. More specifically, that they don't want to attack you and, by extension, myself as well."

"And that, Zeref, can only be done if you can manage to look at me without disdain for just a few hours," Lucy said with more than a little sass.

"I hardly disdain you, Lucy," Zeref said.

"Then act like it."

Zeref huffed almost childishly.

"I think that's enough for today. We leave at first light, so make sure you are well rested and ready to go."

With that, he turned on his heel and marched most importantly out of the room. Lucy just rolled at his eyes. He might have been the most powerful dark mage ever to live, but he was also a drama queen. And despite the fact she still feared him and his true motives, she couldn't help but come to rather like the man in an odd way. She wondered what he would have been like, had the world not twisted him so much through the centuries. Maybe then she could even have loved him like a proper wife.

Then she thought of Natsu and his warm, childish grin and his soft, hot kisses.

 _Maybe not._

No matter how tolerable Zeref could have been, it would never have been enough to compare to what she felt for his demonic brother. That was a fire even water couldn't put out, that blazed deep within her. Natsu was more than just an attractive man or a good friend – he felt like another part of herself and it was a wonder she'd lived without him all her life. She didn't know if she could do the same again, now that she'd found him.

After a moment, she left the room through the same door Zeref had just gone through. The hallways were still rather dark and intimidating, but gradually she was beginning to feel more – if not at home – comfortable. She walked leisurely along the red carpet, not really having much more to do now that rehearsal was over for the day. Through a narrow window she could see the sun beginning its descent, though still rather high up amongst the clouds.

Warm, rough hands suddenly wrapped themselves around her eyes and she smiled widely, knowing instantly who they belonged to.

"Guess who," Natsu's deep voice rumbled against her back as he pulled her flush against him.

She twisted her head up to look at him, her infectious smile still upon her face.

"Natsu," she sighed happily, meeting his green eyes with her own. She spun around in his arms and kissed him deeply. It was a gentle kiss, like a warm blanket on a cold night that so softly lended its comfort and protection.

"Hello beautiful," he murmured against her lips.

"I'm always amazed how quiet you can be despite the wings," she said playfully.

"It's a trained art. Took centuries to master," he said pompously with a smirk that Lucy couldn't help but capture with her own lips again.

"I wasn't expecting you until this evening," she said.

"I finished early," he said, a small shadow passing over his eyes for the briefest of moments before he continued. "Besides, I think Zeref wanted to give us some time together now so that you'd get some sleep tonight."

"That dirty old man," Lucy laughed. "But I'd never say no to more time with you."

Their lips met again, this time more fiercely. Needy hands ran over skin and cloth, searching for something more as their tongues twisted together in their own dance. Somehow Lucy was supposed to convince the world that she felt like this for the black mage, and the task seemed daunting to her – no, _impossible._

Suddenly, Natsu broke the kiss off and gasped. Lucy looked up in slight alarm, but at seeing the smile on his face settled down.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I've just remembered there's somewhere I've been wanting to take you," he said, eliciting another smile from her.

"Oh really? And where is that?"

"Pshh, I can't tell you, it's a _surprise_ ," he chided, grabbing her hand and pulling her up the stairs towards the nearest upper exit, special doors to outside made so that Natsu could jump out and fly off without having to cram through a window.

They reached the door and he flung it open. The fifty foot drop was still a bit terrifying to Lucy, but when Natsu picked her up in his arms all her fears subsided and they launched into the air. Her stomach leapt as they flew over the palace grounds and off towards the south. Most of the area surrounding the palace was undeveloped, retaining its natural beauty that many cities like Crocus had long lost. She settled back against Natsu as they flew and nestled her head against his neck, lightly peppering kisses along the skin and scales there. She felt the demon growl beneath her and chuckled.

"Careful, missy. If you distract me too much I might just fly into a tree," he teased her.

"Natsu and Lucy, sitting in a tree," she sang with a laugh.

"More like lodged into it," Natsu corrected. "Anyway, we're here."

She sat up a bit in his arms and looked around. "Here" turned out to be a small wooded area, though why Natsu wanted to bring her here was as yet unapparent to her.

"And where exactly are we?" she asked.

"Hold your horses, you'll see in a minute," he said.

"I didn't ride any horses here, I rode a demon," she said. Natsu's skin turned as red as his scales at her insinuation, and after realizing what she'd said she would have blushed as well if she hadn't enjoyed watching him do it so much.

He cleared his throat, which had gone mysteriously dry.

"A-anyway, it's right through here," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her through a small patch of trees.

They walked along what was apparently supposed to be a path lined very tightly with old trees until they came to a clearing with a small cabin. The house was surrounded by untamed shrubberies practically dripping with various berries, and the whole structure seemed as old as the woods themselves. Overall it was rather…cute.

"What is this place?" Lucy asked.

"This is my home," Natsu said, making Lucy twist towards him so fast she almost fell over.

"I thought you lived in the palace," she said.

"Well technically I kind of do. I don't have to sleep much and I don't get time off, so _basically_ I live in the palace, but this is my official home. I built it when I first came to live with Zeref after the dragons. Probably needs a little work…" he muttered.

"It's adorable!" Lucy gushed, flying towards the door, excited to see the rest of the house.

"That's my man cave you're talking about, don't call it adorable," Natsu grumbled, following behind the eager blonde.

Lucy froze as she opened the door and was greeted with mountains of clothes and dishes and other more mysterious substances she remained wary of.

"Oh," she said. "Could use a little cleaning."

"Heh, yeah. Like I said, not much time off. I rarely come here anymore, especially since I've been…with you and…yeah," Natsu said, running his claws through his hair.

Lucy looked at him curiously, wondering why he seemed so nervous. Then it hit her: this was his _home_. A place he likely hadn't brought anyone to. Ever. The sudden weight of that realization laid itself upon her.

"Well, it's not _that_ bad," she lied. She made her way through the mess towards what looked like a kitchen or – at least – the most consistent pile of dishes. She peeked around in the cupboards, but was greeted with nothing but crumbs and a few moldy food items whose original forms were so distorted Lucy wasn't entirely sure what they had been before.

Behind her, Natsu sighed anxiously. "I'm sorry, I really should have cleaned this place before I brought you here," he said, acutely aware at that moment that Lucy was a proper lady and not just some country girl. "I just suddenly remembered about it and didn't stop to think…"

"Natsu," Lucy said, walking over to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly, just to make him shut up. "It's fine. I'm glad you brought me. How about you go find some food and I'll clean up around here. When you get back we can make dinner. It'll almost be like a proper date," she said with a grin.

Natsu bit his lip adorably as he thought over her words. "You really don't have to clean my house for me," he said.

"Oh, but you don't understand Natsu – I really _do_ ," she said, pressing her lips against his again.

This time he took charge, moving his lips with hers in a slow ebb and flow of motion. Lucy felt that she could stand there and kiss him all day, even surrounded by junk as she was, but their time was limited. She pulled back and pushed him towards the door.

"Now go! I'm hungry," she smirked.

"As you wish, my lady," Natsu smiled. "If you need me, just yell. I'm not going far."

"I'll let you know if one of your shirts tries to strangle me," she agreed, and watched as he leapt up into the sky. She watched until he disappeared over the trees then turned back to the messy house, ready for battle.

* * *

By the time Natsu got back the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon and the house was, maybe not sparkling, but clean. Luckily the place had been more cluttered than filthy, with the notable exception of the kitchen that had been doubling as a petri dish. However, Lucy hadn't really minded. Nobody had ever let her clean anything before besides tidying her own room, and now she felt exceptionally accomplished as she looked around the – nearly – spotless house.

When she heard the heavy flapping of wings, she ran to the door to see Natsu landing with an already-skinned carcass of something and an armful of vegetables she had trouble believing he just miraculously found in the forest. Natsu flipped his wings back, looked up to see her standing in the doorway, and promptly froze.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked, unable to understand why he'd suddenly stopped moving, stopped _breathing._

Natsu just smiled a bit and blushed as a deadly demon shouldn't. "Sorry," he said bashfully. "I just like the sight."

"Of your house?" she asked.

"Of you standing in it," he said. Then he shook his head as if he were being silly, though to Lucy he was anything but. "Anyway, I got some stuff. I thought we could make a stew or something. I think I remember how to make that. Used to be the only thing I made."

Lucy beamed at him and took an armful of vegetables.

"Sounds great!" she said. "Though I'll warn you, my cooking skills are questionable. They never let me in the kitchens back home."

Natsu laughed and followed her into the house.

"Wow…" he said behind her.

"Not bad, huh?" she bragged.

"I haven't seen it this clean in a few decades at least," he admitted.

"Well I hope you'll keep it clean now. That was a lot of work," she said as he placed the meat on a chopping board he didn't even know he owned.

"Hopefully you'll be able to come here and help me keep it clean," he said, bending down to kiss her sweetly.

Lucy blushed, speechless, and nodded. She hoped for that as well.

* * *

 **Hey there! I know I'm an awful person for not updating in so long, but I'm obsessed with the new Zelda game that has basically hijacked my life at this point. XD**

 **A better reason, though, is that I've been chewing on the idea of editing and slightly revising this whole story. I like most of it so far, but there are some things that I think might cause complications later on and that I'm simply not satisfied with. I haven't yet decided whether I'll edit everything before pressing on or if I'll write the whole story and then go back and revise. I'm leaning towards the latter.**

 **What this means for you is don't be surprised if some more minor points (or even a few major ones) don't quite make sense or suddenly change. It seems no matter how much planning I do, when I sit down and actually write, the story likes to do its own thing.**

 **So, to everyone who is willing to stick with me as I get this thing out, thank you so much and I'll try to make it worth your time. The next chapter will be out MUCH sooner, I promise.**

 **xoxo xache**


	11. Ch 10: I Love You

**This is going to be your last and only warning that this fic is rated M as it's going to get a lot more M-ish from this point on. ;)**

 **Tbh, I'm not in love with the way I wrote this chapter, but I'll probably end up editing this whole thing at the end, so whatevs. Hope y'all have a great week, and leave a review to tell me what you think!**

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Their dinner went better than either could have expected. Lucy didn't cut herself chopping vegetables and Natsu didn't set anything on fire, which was a considerable accomplishment for him. When they finally got to sit down and eat, the food even tasted good rather than simply bearable. The whole evening was simple and domestic, a luxury neither had really ever been allowed to enjoy before. At that moment they weren't Lady Heartfilia and END, they were just Lucy and Natsu, and it was everything they wanted.

"We should probably be heading back," Natsu said reluctantly. The moon was high in the sky now and he knew his brother would be angry if Lucy wasn't properly prepared for tomorrow.

"I don't want to," Lucy pouted. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. "I just want to stay here with you…"

"Zeref won't be happy if you're late tomorrow," Natsu said again.

"Ugh, _Zeref_ ," Lucy groaned. Natsu chuckled, feeling the same.

"I know, but he's my master and your husband. It's best to keep him happy," Natsu said quietly. The powerful demon was terrified of doing anything that might upset his brother in the fear that the black mage would punish him by keeping Lucy away.

"He might be my husband on paper, but you already mean more to me than he ever could," Lucy said. "Than anyone ever could."

She reached one lithe hand up to stroke his cheek and jaw. Natsu leaned into the warmth of her palm and purred, his green eyes mingling with hers. Then Lucy smiled and laughed as if at some inside joke.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked, his sharp eyes smiling at her.

"Earlier today when Zeref and I were practicing I told him he didn't have to act all gushy because not all couples are like that, but we are definitely a gushy couple," she said.

Natsu laughed and ran his claws through her hair tenderly. "If being in love with you makes me gushy, then so be it," he whispered.

Lucy's eyes widened just as his lips met hers. She wasn't sure why his words shocked her; she already knew that he loved her, but somehow hearing the words aloud made it all the more real – and beautiful. She wrapped her arms around his strong neck and pulled him closer until they were practically merged, but it still wasn't close enough. Wanting something she didn't fully understand, Lucy ground her hips against Natsu's, which seemed to send the demon into overdrive.

He pushed her backwards until her back pressed against the wooden wall of his home, caging her in between his strong arms without breaking lips with her even for a moment. He growled needily and pressed his hips into hers where Lucy could clearly feel the growing bulge that pushed her over the edge.

"I want you, Natsu," she breathed against him around desperate gulps of air and more fevered kisses.

"Lucy…" he growled, moving his lips down her jaw and to her neck, careful not to poke her with his sharp horns. Lucy ran her fingers through his blazing hair and he purred again.

"Please, Natsu," she moaned again and he pulled back though still trapping her between his arms. He had a hungry but self-restraining look in his eye that betrayed his uncertainty.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said.

"I trust you," she said.

For a second she thought Natsu might cry at her words. His mouth fell open, as if he couldn't believe what she'd said, and his green eyes widened.

"Do you not believe me?" she asked, peering at him under her thick lashes. He took a ragged breath.

"Of course I do, I just—I never thought anyone could trust me…especially after everything Zeref…" he trailed off, cringing at the thought of everything he'd done in his brother's name.

"Natsu, I trust you with every part of myself—my body and my heart. So please, I want you," she said.

Her words seemed to inspire some confidence in him because Natsu kissed her once more before grabbing her hand and leading her back to the bedroom. Normally he would just sleep in the hammock he had hanging in the living room, but for once he was eternally grateful that he'd bothered getting a bed. They stumbled through the doorway and Natsu laid Lucy back on the bed, crawling on top of her and pressing his lips back against hers greedily. Her arms snaked back around his waist and she pulled him down to her until their bodies were barely an inch apart, his heat radiating off of him like a hot coal. His wings hung out around them like a blanket, fluttering every so often at her touch.

She pulled at his backless shirt, unsure exactly how to get it off and he laughed, kneeling abover her for a moment to remove it and throw it carelessly on the floor. Lucy was sure she'd never get bored of looking at his hard, sculpted chest. His shoulders were peppered with red scales that trailed down to his hands, but his torso – save for his back – was mostly tanned skin. She found she not only tolerated his dragon features – she found them irresistable. Maybe she had just gotten bored of all the stories about the knight in shining armor, but she found she liked the dragon much, much more.

With slightly shaking hands she reached down to the hem of her dress – which was thankfully corset-less – and pulled it up and over her head, leaving her in her plain white undergarmets. Natsu looked at her like she was a pile of gold, drinking in the sight of her pale skin beneath him. He braced himself to hover above her and kissed her again, softer this time, before moving his lips down her neck and towards her collar bone. Ever so gently he untied her white brassiere and pulled it over her head, expecting her to tell him to stop at any moment, but she never did.

When she was finally bare, all he could do was stare at her. He'd seen naked women before, but they'd never made him feel anything like the raging lust that coursed through his veins now. He felt a primal instinct to mark her, claim her, but that would have to wait for another day.

"N-Natsu?" Lucy asked the frozen demon timidly, unsure if she had done something wrong. Her cheeks were a blazing pink and her doe eyes stared up at him so sweetly he felt his cock thob. "A-are you okay?"

Was _he_ okay? All he could do was nod, his thoat as dry as a desert.

At that Lucy smiled slightly. With a bit of boldness, she picked up one of his hands and placed it directly on her breast, her cheeks still blazing. His unnatural heat felt amazing against her naked skin and she almost hummed at the feeling.

"You can touch me," she said, just in case he was unsure.

He gave her breast a tentative squeeze. It was heavier than he'd expected, and suddenly he wondered what it felt like to have these hanging on her chest all day long. That train of thought didn't last too long, though, as a light moan from Lucy stole his attention away. He purred unconsciously and leaned down to lick at her neck some more. He liked the way he could feel her racing pulse against his tongue, completely exposed to him.

He dragged his lips over her cool skin – well, cool in comparison to his, at least – leaving kisses along her body down her plump breasts and curved waist to her hips. His body was acting on instinct, like a boat following the flow of the river. Barely even realizing what he was doing, he kissed further down until his face was pressed between her legs and he growled at her sweet, musky scent.

"N-Natsu!" she cried in shock and embarrassment as she watched the demon breathe in her scent. Her face was as red as his scales when his eyes snapped up to hers. Once he saw that she wasn't hurt, just embarrassed, he purred and nipped at her cloth-covered core.

"Aah!" she moaned, the intense sensation taking her by surprise. Natsu didn't miss the way her scent piqued at the action, and couldn't wait to do it again. He hooked a razor claw around her panties and pulled them off, exposing her to him completely. Lucy watched in mortification as the demon actually licked his lips before diving down to lick her.

His tongue moved up and down her now-dripping core, playing in circles on that little nub that seemed to drive her insane.

"Natsu!" she moaned again, the pleasure dulling the initial embarrassment.

"You tashe sho good, Lushi," he groaned against her, his voice reverberating against her aching core. She just moaned in response, and he moved his eyes up to meet hers. "Does it feel good?" he asked, his breath hot against her skin.

Face still as red as a tomato, Lucy nodded. Humiliating as it was, she couldn't bring herself to lie to the demon, and _Mavis_ did it feel good. She hadn't known this kind of bliss was possible.

Natsu smirked in both satisfaction and pride as he continued tonguing her, diving deep into her opening to lap up everything she had to offer.

" _Oh, Mavis,Natsu~!"_ she screamed, right before her entire body tensed and the demon was flooded with her delicious juices, which he drank eagerly much to Lucy's mortification.

Natsu dragged himself up from his spot between her legs to nuzzle at her neck lightly while Lucy caught her breath.

"I can't believe you just did that," she whispered, her embarrassment coming back in full force.

"Mm, and I want to do it again. You taste amazing~" he sang with a self-satisfied smirk.

Lucy just blushed in response and kissed him. She could taste herself on him and found it quite gross. Surely he was lying when he said she tasted good, because _she_ certainly didn't think so.

Still, it would take more than her bitter taste to deter her from locking lips with her favorite demon. She pulled him closer to her and wrapped her legs around his hip, grinding against him as her lust began to replinish itself. She could feel the hardness in his pants and found herself more and more eager to introduce herself to it.

With one hand still placed at the nape of his neck, she let her other hand trail down his chest and rugged abs before making its way even further down to palm his brazen erection. Natsu's lips froze as he let out a shakey breath and Lucy grinned.

"Feels good?" she teased, and the demon purred deeply.

She reached her other hand down as well and began unbuttoning his pants while Natsu tried to steady himself above her. He watched with dark, lusty eyes as her hands fumbled with the buttons of his pants and tried to push them down. Finally unable to stand it any longer, he sat up and took his pants off, throwing them down with the rest of the unwanted clothes on his floor.

Lucy stared shamelessly at the throbbing mast. Luckily it wasn't as big as she thought it would be – her romance novels made her worry it'd be like shoving a tree trunk up her – but it was still a bit unnerving. She'd never had anything like that inside of her before – save for Natsu's tongue which didn't quite compare in size – and she'd heard so much about the pain of a maiden's first time that it gave her pause. However, when she looked up and met his eyes – the eyes that loved her so very, very much – her fears vanished.

Natsu would never hurt her, and if the pain was inevitable, at least she knew he'd try to make it as bearable as possible. And besides, she wanted this more than any amount of pain could dissuade.

She pushed herself onto her knees so that she and Natsu were both kneeling and facing each other. His wings flexed nervously behind him as she stared down at him, unsure of what exactly to do with it. Then he took her hand and brought it towards him, letting her wrap her small, soft fingers around his thick length.

"You can touch me," he said, mimicking her words from earlier. Lucy gasped at the feeling. It was like a piece of wood wrapped in suede or velvet, soft and yet hard, but mostly very hot.

"W-what do I do?" she asked timidly.

Natsu shuddered as her little hand tightened and loosened nervously, as if uncertain what would make him feel as good as he'd made her feel just moments before.

"L-like this," he said, wrapping his clawed hand around her own and moving it back and forth. He growled again at the sensation, his eyes drooping slightly in pleasure.

"W-wait," he said quickly, pulling her hand off of him. He brought it up to his mouth and gave a long lick along her palm, wetting it before placing it back on him. "There."

Lucy started stroking him again, her eyes trained on what she was doing. She slid along his length easier now, the skin dragging up and down with each stroke. His chest rumbled with pleasure as his hips began to thrust into her palm of their own accord. He wrapped one arm around her waist, the other resting lightly on her hip as he began to kiss at her neck and jaw. Lucy ran her thumb over the tip of his member, which had begun to weep. At that, Natsu's hand shot down and stopped her.

"W-what? Did I hurt you?" she asked.

Natsu gave a shakey laugh. _Hurt him._ The thought was laughable, especially since what she'd been doing was a far cry from hurting him.

"Of course not," he said. "But I don't want to…y'know…yet…"

"Oh…" Lucy said, relying on her extensive romance novel collection to fill in what he meant.

Natsu glanced to the side awkwardly, afraid he'd ruined the moment by stopping her. As reassurance, she wrapped his arm back around her, her own arms hooking around his neck as she lay back, pulling him down with her.

"Natsu," she moaned against his lips. He once again braced himself above her while she let one devious hand find his aching appendage once more. She spread her legs wide and positioned him against her. "Put it in."

Natsu shuddered violently at the command, pausing for only a moment before pressing himself down inside her. Lucy took a sharp breath as he began to stretch her, his thick cock –still slick from her earlier ministrations - testing the limits of what she could handle. He moved at a glacial pace, sure not to rip her or cause any more pain than was necessary.

When he was pressed all the way in, he stilled, letting her adjust to him while simultaneously trying not to explode on the spot. As amazing as her hand had felt on him, this was something else entirely. She was warm and wet, her core squeezing each and every inch of him inside her. Each moment felt like a thousand, full of blissful torture as he waited for her. At last, she whispered in his ear, soft and slightly nervous.

"You can move."

He pulled back until he was halfway out of her and then pressed back in as slowly as he could manage. He repeated the action, pulling out a little further with each thrust before sliding back into her inviting heat. Eventually her body began to relax, her tension melting away into pleasure.

"F-Faster," she stuttered, her own hips thrusting up slightly to meet him as the initial discomfort faded away.

He began to move at a steady rhythm – _in and out, in and out_. Each 'in' a sharp thrust and each out a longer, more languid movement. He knew he wouldn't last long, but was determined to let Lucy find her climax once more before he came. The golden woman beneath him moaned and he willed himself to hang on a bit longer.

Lucy rolled her hips against his, letting out wanton sounds with each beautifully sinful movement. He was large and hot inside of her, his cock rubbing against places she hadn't even known existed. The pain was completely gone by this point, replaced by a feeling so intense and addictive, she wondered if she'd ever find it in her to stop. As the demon increased his pace, the pleasure only built up more and more, like a dam holding back a river – and the dam was about to break.

"Lucy," Natsu said, his voice strained and needy.

"Mmm, Natsu," she responded, pressing her softer chest against his. His body was searing all against her, and she wouldn't have been surprised if he actually burst into flame. She angled her hips back slightly, so that his length dragged over that pearl of concentrated pleasure with each pump of his hips.

Without warning, she came again, her body constricting around him. "Natsu!" she cried out again as her mind went blank and her vision white.

Natsu quickly pulled out of her just as he was pushed over the edge, spurting his seed onto her flat, pale stomach. He growled loudly as he came, his eyes shutting and rolling back into his head as he tried to focus on not crushing her beneath him.

"Ah," he panted as his body relaxed.

He opened his eyes to see hers staring up at him, wide and bright and – dare he say it – happy. She smiled, and unconsciously he copied the expression.

"I love you," Lucy said.

He dipped down and kissed her lips lazily, completely spent.

"I love you, too."


End file.
